Jakarta. The Jakarta International BNI Java Jazz Festival will return on Friday for its 17th edition after a pandemic-induced hiatus.

The highly anticipated music festival will run from May 27 to May 29, at Jakarta International Expo.

Java Jazz serves as a melting pot for Indonesian and international artists. Festival-goers will get to see 542 artists of different genres and generations on stage. Grammy winner PJ Morton, singer-songwriter JoJo, and the legendary The Temptations Rev featuring Glenn Leonard are the headliners of this year’s event. Indonesian rockstar Ahmad Dhani is set to have a collabo with jazz musician Ron King Big Band.

The line-up appeals to both the younger and older crowds. Indonesian pop legend Fariz RM will perform together with young artists Oslo Ibrahim and Faye Risakotta. Other acts include Reza Artamevia, Rizky Febian, Gabe Bondoc, Keyon Harrold, and many more.

This marks the first Java Jazz Festival to be held amid the Covid-19 pandemic, so it is no surprise that the event has new normal protocols in place. Java Jazz, however, has dropped the Covid-19 booster requirement.

“Booster shots are no longer required, but festival-goers must be fully vaccinated. Masks are still mandatory because most of our shows take place indoors,” Dewi Gontha, the president director at Java Festival Production, told a press briefing in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The event also no longer requires its festival-goers to take a PCR or antigen test.

Dewi refused to disclose how many tickets the 2022 Java Jazz had sold to this day.

"But the public interest [for Java Jazz] has far exceeded our expectations," Dewi said, while adding that music lovers had really missed going to offline events.

For more information about the full line-up and ticketing, visit the Java Jazz Festival official website.