Pestapora Music Festival terminates its collaboration with PT Freeport Indonesia as of September 6, 2025. This decision came after numerous local musicians opted to withdraw from the event due to PT Freeport’s sponsorship. The list of musicians who pulled out includes Barefood, Durga, Keep It Real, Rrag, Negatifa, Ornament, Kenya, Pelteras, Petra Sihombing, Centra, Navicula, The Jeblogs, Swellow, Sukatani, Kelelewar Malam, Rekah, Leipzig, and Xin Lie.
Before the official announcement, Pestapora had already excluded PT Freeport on the second and third days of the festival. Despite the cancellation of the collaboration, several local artists decided to cancel their performances out of humanitarian concerns. Centra band, for instance, cited humanitarian reasons for their withdrawal, expressing solidarity with oppressed individuals, particularly in Papua.
Furthermore, Barefood also announced their withdrawal and criticized Pestapora in the process. The festival is set to take place without the involvement of PT Freeport Indonesia on September 6 and 7, 2025. Although the partnership has been terminated, the decision of several musicians to withdraw from the event has sparked discussions about solidarity and human rights issues.
