The first day of the BRI Jazz Gunung Bromo 2026 festival successfully delivered a magical atmosphere at the Jiwa Jawa Bromo Amphitheater on Friday (24/7/2026). Starting in the afternoon at 15:30 WIB, this annual jazz music festival blended beautiful melodies with the cold mountain air that was gradually blanketed by thin mist. The new format, the Before Sunset session, gave the audience an opportunity to enjoy the musical performances against the dramatic backdrop of the sunset transition.
Taiwanese jazz trio Plutato opened the first day's stage with an instrumental composition titled Woman Crosses The Street. Their performance became even more lively when guest singer Cait Lin took the stage to perform several songs. Cait Lin's vocals, combined with Plutato's experimental arrangement, successfully immersed the audience in the atmosphere. Interestingly, Cait Lin greeted the audience in Indonesian and promised to learn it more deeply on her next visit.
The warmth of the afternoon continued with the highly anticipated performance of soloist Bilal Indrajaya. Performing in the Before Sunset session, Bilal performed a number of hits such as NPT, Dara, Mustahil, and Kaos Kaki Merah. Amidst his serene performance, he also dedicated a special song as a tribute to his late road manager who passed away last year.
After a break, it was Batavia Collective's turn to rock the stage without a fixed setlist, relying on spontaneous improvisation based on the audience's response. A surprise occurred when Cait Lin and Justin from Plutato joined them on stage. The excitement continued with the performance of the Ring of Fire collaborative project, collaborating with pianist Sri Hanuraga and Italian drummer Simone Prattico. Presenting jazz music with traditional nuances, they performed new compositions developed virtually via Zoom before the festival took place.
As the closing act of the first day, Isyana Sarasvati gave a stunning performance despite the Bromo air temperature dropping below 10 degrees Celsius. With extraordinary vocal energy and dynamic piano playing, Isyana successfully warmed the audience who stayed until late at night. Isyana's light jokes about her lips being stiff due to the cold weather added a touch of intimacy that sweetly closed the first day of this festival.
In addition to the music stage, BRI Jazz Gunung Bromo 2026 also presented a visual art dimension through the Bromopedia exhibition, in collaboration with the Post-Graduate School of ISI Jogjakarta and Pasuruan artists. Visitors were also pampered with various culinary products and typical souvenirs from local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) supported by BRIMO digital transactions.
