Festival Krakatau or K-Fest in Lampung, held from 1-6 July 2025, showcases the Sekura, Tuping, and Nyubuk cultures, highlighting the traditional use of masks by the indigenous people of Lampung. For the Lampung community, masks are a cultural heritage passed down through generations and still actively practiced today.
Bobby Irawan, the Head of the Lampung Provincial Office of Tourism and Creative Economy, revealed that the choice to focus on the culture of face coverings in Lampung for several years was influenced by cultural experts and historians. “The Lampung mask culture carries a strong and unique character, making it suitable for wide-scale introduction,” as reported by Antara on Friday July 4, 2025.
In previous years, Festival Krakatau featured various main events, such as cultural parades in traditional attire without masks, highlighting the elephant parade. However, due to new regulations, the theme has been adjusted.
Over the years, as creativity and modernization have evolved, the cultural parade at Festival Krakatau has also transformed. Since 2023, the local government has showcased the Sekura masks from Lampung Barat and Pesisir Barat, Tuping characters from Lampung Selatan, and Nyubuk Muli from the Lampung Pepadun tribe during the Krakatau Festival cultural parade.
Bobby explained that the Sekura culture has been a part of Lampung society since the 8th century and continues to be preserved in Lampung Barat. By continuously promoting the use of masks through the Sekura, Tuping, and Nyubuk cultures, Lampung’s mask culture can become widely recognized as a cultural heritage.
Looking ahead, Bobby expressed hope that future editions of the Festival Krakatau in Lampung will not only gain national recognition but also attract global attention, with Lampung’s mask culture being acknowledged worldwide as a characterful legacy intertwined with Lampung’s history.
The 34th Festival Krakatau in Lampung will include the Kanik’an Festival, tourism and creative economy market exhibitions, a competition for creating Lampung’s traditional sambal seruit, Lampung Mask Street Carnival, Krakatau Run, and the enchanting night of K-Fest.
