Joyland Festival 2023 is a Massive Level Up for Malaysian Concert-Goers

By Dale B • 08 Dec 2023 in Music

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Joyland Festival Jakarta 2023 came to a triumphant close just over a week ago, and it truly brought the house down at GBK Baseball Stadium Senayan.

Around 35,000 festival goers in total were brought together from November 24-26 to take part in the biggest edition of Joyland Festival Jakarta yet.

JUICE was there to cover the event, enjoying the festivities as well as interviewing some of our favourite bands, Mew and Alvvays.

Here are a couple of reasons why Joyland Festival is such a massive level up from the festivals we have here in Malaysia:

For the Whole Family

Surprisingly, Joyland Festival featured a family-friendly environment, with attendees bringing their children in strollers and even elderly family members.

So while the main stages played host to all the musical acts, the White Peacock area included a playground and activities for parents and children to participate in together like a music-making workshop.

Those who weren’t completely into music could also enjoy local stand-up comics as well as a screening of short films from across the world on all three days.

Indie Galore

While major acts like Mew, Alvvays, Interpol, and Fleet Foxes were the headliners, the more intimate Lily Pad Stage featured up-and-coming artists from Southeast Asia.

Acts like Bayangan from Malaysia, Thailand’s Yonlapa, and CURB and Sobs from Singapore got to show off their stuff to an Indonesian audience.

Local acts like The Adams, Maliq & D’Essentials, and Grrrl Gang also gave those coming from overseas a chance to check out some of the best music Indonesia has to offer.

Always Hydrated

How many times have you found yourself thirsty in a Malaysian festival and would rather not pay upwards of RM10 just for a bottle of mineral water?

At Joyland Festival Jakarta, this was not an issue at all as there were free water refilling stations all across the venue.

One could bring their own bottle or buy from the merch stand, with the refilling station also providing ice for a really refreshing drink.

A Different Crowd

After years of attending Good Vibes Festival here in Malaysia, one stark difference you will find at Joyland is how chill everyone is.

A typical Malaysian crowd is definitely a lot rowdier and the urge to keep your place in the front of the crowd really activates everyone’s inherent kiasu-ness.

Across the Joyland festival grounds, the crowd was a lot more spread out and if you wanted to make your way to the front for your favourite act, it was just an easy stroll away.

Heart of Jakarta

Joyland Festival this year took place at GBK Baseball Stadium Senayan, which can be compared to Stadium Merdeka right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.

Not only was the venue accessible, with great hotels of varying price ranges at every corner, but there were also two nearby malls for those who did not fancy festival food and facilities.

The only thing that brought things down was the November rain and the usual Jakarta traffic, which if planned accordingly, you’re bound to have a good time.

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Joyland Festival 2023 is a Massive Level Up for Malaysian Concert-Goers