Nongkrong presents:
Pasar Senja
sat 14 FEB | 3-10PM | FED SQUARE
This Valentine's Day, Nongkrong Festival invites Melbourne to celebrate a different kind of love story: the connection between Australian and Indonesian culture. On Saturday, February 14, Fed Square will transform into a pasar senja (twilight fair), where live Indonesian music, dance, food and handmade goods come together as the sun sets over the city. This free, family-friendly event reimagines the Indonesian tradition of gathering at dusk to eat, unwind and most importantly, nongkrong (hang out) with community.
Part of Fed Square’s Open Air at the Square summer program, Pasar Senja brings together seven live music acts, three dance companies, five food vendors, 13 Indonesian and a hands-on weaving workshops, transforming Fed Square into a celebration of Indonesian culture as twilight falls.
Music & Performance:
Pasar Senja delivers the perfect sunset soundtrack with a stellar lineup spanning Indonesia’s finest contemporary sound. This year’s event features headline performances by two of Indonesia’s biggest musical pioneers:
Internationally touring superstars, Ali (IDN), bring their signature Southeast twist to Middle Eastern beats with their genre defying blend of psych rock, Habibi Funk and Nusantara grooves. Having toured all over the globe and performed at major festivals such as Roskilde, Fuji Rock, and Meredith, they will perform live and free at Fed Square for the first time.
Pioneering jazz/pop legend Candra Darusman (IDN) makes his long-awaited Australian debut. With a career spanning five decades across several celebrated acts, including Chaseiro and Karimata, Candra Darusman helped define a generation of Indonesian pop music and remains one of the industry’s most respected figures. He is joined by rising talents Lemes, an all-Indonesian outfit bringing the best of Indonesian jazz, dangdut, and funk to local audiences.
Several standout local artists round out the lineup: Komang, Matahara, Gamelan DanAnda, Suara Dance, Sanggar Lestari, Stale Biskitz, Budaya (0); and to cap it off, the sun-drenched selections of Naarm icons Rah (DJ) and Cristal No. 5 (DJ).
Set Times:
3pm – Gamelan DanAnda
4pm – Welcome to Country with Uncle Colin Hunter, Wurundjeri Elder
4.30pm – Suara Dance
5pm – Komang
6pm – Budaya (0)
6.10pm – Stale Biskitz
6.30pm – Matahara
7.30pm – Candra Darusman feat. Lemes
8.30pm – Ali
9.15pm – Cristal no. 5
Food & Markets
Pasar Senja will see a selection classic (and not-so-classic) Indonesian dishes from some of the best Indonesian restaurants including: Makan who will be serving their infamous chicken satay, grilled corn and rendang; Diana’s Kitchen dishing up nasi tumpeng and favourite traditional snacks; Warkop delivering on some Australian-Indonesian sandwiches and drinks. This year, Nongkrong Kitchen will serve classic Indonesian street snacks reimagined through collaborations with diaspora chefs including Nagesh Seethiah (Manzè) and Rosheen Kaul.
Pasar Senja include the Senja Market, a design market that brings together Indonesian designers and artists, with handmade goods spanning jewellery, clothes, homewares, zines, books and exclusive Nongkrong merch, as well a rare chance to get Bali's Fed by Made merch in Melbourne. Stalls include Cahyati Press, Slow Burn Books, Nusantao Giftshop, Studio Ruang and more.
Workshops
In addition to Saturday’s Program we’re hosting workshops with community favourites Suara Dance and Stale Biskitz.
Stale Biskitz Workshop
Sun 15 Feb, 11am -12:30pm
Passion Studio
The dynamic duo Poppin Jack & Keanu from Stale Biskitz are running a joint 90 min workshop, taking you through a mix of Popping, Boog Style and Freestyle.
Aceh Body Percussion Workshop
Thu 12 Feb, 6:30pm - 8pm
Dancehouse
Led by one of Australia’s leading Indonesian dance and music companies, this workshop introduces the rhythmic art of Acehnese body percussion.
