As technology continues to reshape the way people work, create, communicate, and imagine the future, IdeaFest 2026 returns with a timely message. The festival’s 15th edition will be held from September 4 to 6, 2026, at Jakarta Convention Center, bringing together voices from across film, music, fashion, technology, politics, culinary arts, comedy, sports, and popular culture.

This year, the festival carries the theme “ReHumanize,” a direction that places people back at the heart of progress. Rather than positioning technology as the sole driver of the future, IdeaFest 2026 opens a wider conversation about how innovation should remain connected to human values, social impact, culture, and emotional relevance.

The theme arrives at a moment when artificial intelligence is becoming part of everyday creative and professional life. For many industries, AI has opened new possibilities in speed, production, personalization, and scale. Yet it has also raised deeper questions about authenticity, empathy, creativity, responsibility, and the human role behind every idea.

For IdeaFest, the conversation is not about rejecting technology. It is about understanding how technology can be guided with intention. Behind every algorithm, tool, and system, there is still a person who creates, uses, interprets, and experiences its impact.

Desy Bachir, Co-chair of IdeaFest, shared that the theme was born from questions that have become increasingly relevant over the past two years. As the creative industry continues to grow with strong support from technology, the festival invites its ecosystem to ask whether the foundation of creativity and progress remains human.

This makes IdeaFest 2026 more than a creative festival. It becomes a space for reflection, collaboration, and future thinking. Through discussions and cross industry programs, the festival aims to encourage a broader dialogue on how the creative economy can move forward without losing sight of the people it serves.

A number of speakers have also been announced, including Lalita Setiandi, founder and chef owner of LIT Bakehouse; Kiki Nasution, content creator and founder of Sabda Bumi; Tsamara Fahrana, EFT and Human Design trainer; and Puty Puar, founder of Buibu Baca Buku, writer, and illustrator.

Their presence reflects the diversity of the festival itself. IdeaFest has never belonged to one industry alone. It brings together creators, thinkers, entrepreneurs, storytellers, cultural figures, and communities who see creativity as a shared language for progress.

With “ReHumanize,” IdeaFest 2026 positions itself at the intersection of innovation and humanity. It reminds the creative industry that the future should not only be measured by what technology can do, but by how it improves lives, strengthens culture, supports meaningful work, and keeps human experience at the center.

As Indonesia’s creative economy continues to expand, IdeaFest 2026 offers an important moment to pause, gather, and rethink the direction of progress. In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, the festival brings the conversation back to its most essential point: technology may accelerate the future, but people are still the reason the future matters.