It’s not just a festival, it’s a movement: Synchronize Festival and community-driven cultural practices

Abstract

Music festivals have become important spaces for cultural expression and community engagement within Indonesia’s urban cultural landscape. However, existing studies have largely focused on tourism, place branding, and economic impacts, while their roles in cultural movements, sustainability, and community-based practices remain underexplored. This study examines the development of Synchronize Festival over its first decade and explores its transformation from a music event into a broader cultural movement. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through participant observation, document analysis, and media review, followed by thematic analysis. The findings indicate that Synchronize Festival fosters a cultural ecosystem by connecting musicians, artists, collectives, and audiences through collaborative programs. Its S.i.S.a initiative advances environmental sustainability through waste management, water refill stations, renewable energy, and sustainable mobility. Public discussions, collective learning, and cultural archiving further support knowledge production and community collectivism. The findings demonstrate that Synchronize Festival has evolved into a community-driven cultural movement that promotes cultural collaboration, environmental engagement, and collective participation.

Keywords: Collective, creative industries, cultural movements, music festivals, sustainability