Djakarta Warehouse Project to adopt government regulations following Berdendang Bergoyang overcrowding

Indonesian electronic music festival Djakarta Warehouse Party (DWP) is reportedly set to adopt the government’s CHSE (Cleanliness, Health, Safety dan Environment Sustainability) standard operating procedures (SOP) following the Berdendang Bergoyang overcrowding incident that has dominated headlines.

The CHSE SOPs include guidelines for organisers to follow at all stages of an event, from pre-planning to event execution and post-mortem evaluation. Among the SOPs recommended are planning of flow management, ensuring vendors and personnel are well aware of emergency safety measures, venue evaluation to ensure facilities are in working order and are capable of supporting event capacity, among other guidelines.

Head of Ismaya Live David Ferdian told Detik that the organisers are committed to following the SOPs, though he did not elaborate if there will be additional measures taken to avoid an overcrowding incident. “Hopefully, this long-awaited festival event can be carried out. Of course, we are always committed to running events by implementing CHSE as expected by the Indonesian government,” he said.

Ferdian’s comments follow a call from Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno for organisers to adopt the SOPs in the face of a busy festival season. The minister told Detik that the government had relayed “resolute” instructions to event organisers to adhere to the CHSE, adding: “The solution to the question of preventive countermeasures is of course SOPs, publications and better management.”

He also said that he hoped organisers would put more importance on the issue of overcrowding, adding: “International events including music and other festival performances, please strictly adhere so that we do not cause potential disasters.”

Concert organiser body Asosiasi Promotor Musik Indonesia (APMI) claimed last week that DWP, alongside the Soundrenaline and Head In The Clouds festivals, is at risk of being cancelled following the Berdendang Bergoyang overcrowding incident. “Now without downplaying other scheduled events, if all events are not allowed in 2022 we will lose the three big events, Soundrenaline, HITC, DWP, and well, that’s not good for us,” he shared.

Central Jakarta Metro Police Chief Kombes Pol Komarudin recently identified two individuals from Berdendang Bergoyang organisers Emvrio Pro who could face charges of negligence over the overcrowding incident that saw a crowd of over 20,000 packed into the 10,000-capacity Istora Senayan stadium.

An individual with the initials HA who was the event’s guarantor, and another individual with the initials DP who reports claim is event organiser Emvrio’s Event Company Director have been identified as culpable parties by the police investigations as of November 5, though no arrests have been made as investigations are ongoing.

Overcrowding caused a massive tragedy in South Korea following Halloween celebrations in Itaewon in Seoul, sparking concerns that a similar incident could occur during Indonesia’s busy end-of-year festival season. Several events have reportedly been affected by stricter instructions from Indonesian authorities following the Berdendang Bergoyang incident, including the cancellation of Slank’s ‘Beautiful Smile Indonesia’ tour date in Palembang on November 6.

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