Jakarta. The Indonesian government is preparing to host approximately 16,000 attendees for the 80th Independence Day ceremony at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Sunday, according to Minister of State Secretariat Prasetyo Hadi.

Prasetyo, who also serves as Chair of the 80th Independence Day Commemoration Committee, explained that the 16,000 participants will be split evenly across two sessions: 8,000 attending the flag-raising ceremony in the morning and 8,000 attending the flag-lowering ceremony in the afternoon.

He expressed apologies to the public for the limited capacity, which means not all enthusiastic citizens could be accommodated for the prestigious event.

“We would like to apologize on behalf of the committee. Due to space constraints, many people who wanted to join the celebration cannot be accommodated,” Prasetyo said during a press briefing at Merdeka Palace on Tuesday, August 12.

Regarding dress code, Prasetyo said attendees are not required to wear special attire. However, official guests are encouraged to wear traditional Indonesian clothing to reflect the nation’s rich cultural heritage.

“For official guests, some are expected to wear traditional outfits. For the general public, no specific dress code is enforced. The spirit is what matters. If people want to wear red or red-and-white clothing at home, that would be wonderful,” he added, referring to the colors of the Indonesian flag.

Preparations for the ceremony are ongoing, with final rehearsals involving personnel from the military, police, and the national flag-hoisting troop (Paskibraka) taking place.

“All participants in the independence ceremony’s climax will be present. They are adapting to the ceremony’s location on the 17th. Despite some rain earlier, the rehearsals continued smoothly. We aim to deliver the best possible commemoration for the 80th anniversary of Indonesia’s independence,” Prasetyo concluded.