The Five Mountains Community (Komunitas Lima Gunung) is once again hosting its large-scale annual cultural event, the Five Mountains Festival, which enters its 25th edition or silver jubilee this year. Scheduled to take place from July 10 to 12, 2026, in Warangan Hamlet, Muneng Warangan Village, Magelang Regency, the event carries a unique theme: 'Getting Dumber Together'.
The Head of the Five Mountains Community, Sujono, explained that the choice of this theme was not without reason. The phrase is an invitation for society to maintain humility amidst the massive flow of information and technological advancement. This theme serves as a reminder that humans need to keep learning and recognize the limits of their knowledge to preserve the essence of togetherness.
Warangan Hamlet was chosen once again to host the event as it is considered to have a strong bond with the journey of this festival. Throughout 25 years of creation, the community—consisting of farmer-artists from the slopes of Mount Merapi, Merbabu, Andong, Sumbing, and Menoreh—has steadfastly held onto the principle of independence. Uniquely, this festival is organized entirely through self-funding, without any sponsorship or financial support from either the government or the private sector.
An activist of the Five Mountains Community, Endah Pertiwi, noted that the enthusiasm among artists this year is exceptionally high. Due to limited event duration, the organizing committee had to conduct a strict curation of applicants. A total of 85 art groups from various parts of the country are confirmed to perform, with each group allocated 15 minutes to showcase their work on the mountain slope stage.
This festival is not merely a celebration of the arts, but rather a symbol of the cultural resilience of rural communities. The spirit of mutual cooperation (gotong royong) and independence, maintained for a quarter of a century, proves that the dedication of farmer-artists can consistently nurture local wisdom amidst changing times.
