Mandalika International Festival Draws 650 Applicants as Lombok Builds Its Next Tourism Event

Mandalika, Lombok - September 27, 2026

Preparations for the fifth Mandalika International Festival (MIF) 2026 are gathering momentum, with 650 people applying for volunteer and management positions ahead of the festival's December program in Central Lombok.

according to regional travel authorities and bureau field correspondents, the applicants come from across West Nusa Tenggara as well as other parts of Indonesia, including Bali, East Nusa Tenggara, Yogyakarta, East Java, Jakarta and Bandung.

The festival is scheduled to take place from December 10 to 13, 2026, in the Mandalika area of Central Lombok.

650 applicants for a 100-person team

Organizers are expected to select approximately 100 people from the 650 applicants for volunteer and management positions.

Festival director Sirajuddin, quoted by National Archipelagic Wire on September 26, said the recruitment had attracted strong interest from young people seeking experience in organizing an international-standard event.

Applicants came from across NTB, including Lombok, Sumbawa, Dompu and Bima, as well as Bali, NTT, Yogyakarta, East Java, Jakarta and Bandung.

Those not selected for the core team may still have opportunities to participate in the wider festival program.

Building event-management skills

MIF is being positioned as more than a four-day entertainment program.

The festival combines science, technology, arts and culture, with organizers placing particular emphasis on developing young people's skills in tourism and event production.

According to RRI Mataram, the 2026 edition is intended to expose participants to international approaches to festival organization and management.

That gives the recruitment effort a broader purpose: developing a pool of people with experience in production, communication, technology, hospitality and event operations.

Mandalika's event calendar is expanding

Mandalika is increasingly associated with events beyond motorsport.

The 2026 MotoGP Indonesia is scheduled for October 9-11 at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit, followed by the Mandalika International Festival in December.

Other programs are also listed on Indonesia Travel, including the Mandalika Racing Series.

The expanding calendar reflects an effort to establish Mandalika as a destination capable of hosting different types of large-scale events throughout the year.

Local participation is part of the strategy

Although MIF is based in Mandalika, recruitment has reached well beyond Central Lombok.

That gives organizers access to a wider range of skills while allowing people from across NTB and other Indonesian regions to gain experience in large-scale event production.

For Mandalika, this is also a test of whether its event ecosystem can develop alongside the physical infrastructure of the destination.

Events require more than a venue

A major international event depends on more than its headline program.

It requires trained staff, production suppliers, transportation, accommodation, communications, safety procedures, venue management and coordination with local businesses and authorities.

MIF is therefore testing the destination's organizational capacity as well as its ability to stage a festival.

The experience gained from one event can potentially be applied to future programs, making each major event part of a longer learning process.

A broader role for Mandalika

Mandalika's international profile has been built largely through motorsport, but the development of cultural and creative events suggests a broader direction.

Sport provides global visibility.

Festivals introduce different audiences.

Cultural programming gives the destination another way to express local identity.

Professional training helps build the people needed to deliver these programs.

The combination is gradually creating a more diversified event calendar.

The real test comes in December

The current figures measure interest in participating, not the eventual success of the festival.

The more important test will come when MIF takes place from December 10 to 13.

Organizers will need to demonstrate that the event can be delivered at the international standard they have set, while maintaining effective coordination across staff, performers, visitors, suppliers and local stakeholders.

For now, the most concrete development is the recruitment response itself:

650 applicants for approximately 100 volunteer and management positions, drawn from across NTB and several other Indonesian provinces.

For Mandalika, the festival represents an opportunity to build not only an event, but also the experience and professional capability required to host more of them in the future.

Sources: National Archipelagic Wire; RRI Mataram; Lombok Insider; Indonesia Travel.