Reaching a quarter-century milestone, the 25th Five Mountains Festival (FLG) returns with a provocative philosophical message. This international-scale cultural event is scheduled to take place on July 10-12, 2026, in Warangan Hamlet, Muneng Warangan Village, Pakis District, Magelang, carrying the theme 'Getting Foolish Together'.
Cultural figure and pioneer of the Five Mountains Community, Sutanto Mendut, explained that the theme is a subtle satire of modern human reality. In this all-digital era, many people feel they already have everything and have become the smartest. This jargon serves as an invitation to come back down to earth, discard intellectual arrogance, and continue learning to maintain harmony with the universe.
This grand event is planned to involve around 1,274 artists from 85 art groups, both local and international. The sustainability of this festival marks its own historical milestone in preserving traditions in the slopes of Mount Merapi, Merbabu, Andong, Sumbing, and Menoreh for 25 uninterrupted years.
One of the unique features that serves as a strong identity of FLG is its financial independence. The Head of the Five Mountains Community, Sujono, emphasized that this celebration is consistently organized independently by the community. Throughout a quarter of a century, the festival has refused dependency on corporate sponsors or government assistance, in order to maintain the freedom of expression of the artist-farmers involved.
