Pekalongan, Central Java. A performance at the Simbang Kulon Night Carnival in Pekalongan, Central Java, on Sept. 10 drew backlash after a video of participants in black costumes with pointed hoods, pentagram symbols, and a goat's head went viral on social media.

The performance drew criticism from social media users, with some comparing the costumes to those associated with the Ku Klux Klan and linking the symbols and goat's head to Satanism.

The participants, however, denied any intention to depict Satanic rituals or promote a particular belief.

M Musa, a committee member, apologized for the controversy and said the performance was designed purely as entertainment and to offer a unique concept for the carnival.

“We did it purely to entertain. We created a unique concept and there was no element of any ritual,” Musa told Beritasatu.com on Monday.

He said the group did not understand the meaning or associations of some of the symbols used in the costumes and only became aware of the controversy after the performance went viral and drew criticism.

“We didn't know what Satanic meant. We just wanted to put on a unique performance,” he said.

The performance featured participants dressed in black and wearing cone-shaped head coverings. A pentagram symbol was also visible, and some viewers interpreted the goat's head used during the performance as part of a ritual.

Musa said the goat's head was part of a broader animal-themed concept and had been purchased from a market before the event. He denied that a goat was slaughtered as part of the performance.

He said the goat had been slaughtered separately according to Islamic requirements, with a cleric overseeing the process, and was intended to be eaten during a communal meal with residents after the event.

The controversy has also raised concerns because the performance took place in front of local government officials and members of the regional leadership forum, who were watching the carnival from the main stage.

Musa apologized to people in Pekalongan and surrounding areas who felt uncomfortable with the performance. He said the group had also held a clarification meeting with the performers following the controversy and would use the incident as an evaluation.

The Simbangkulon Night Carnival is part of an annual community celebration linked to a mass circumcision event in Simbangkulon. The tradition is now in its 61st year.

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