EARLY MUSIC FESTIVALS: NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ACTS (2002-2013)

Music festivals have become an integral part of Indonesian youth culture across generations. Looking back, in 2002, Soundrenaline pioneered large-scale music festivals by organizing a two-day music event in Jakarta.

The lineup of popular musicians and bands, such as Peterpan, Sheila On 7, Naif, Dewa 19, and Gigi, featured artists with significant fan bases. These big names frequently appeared on television and their music was adored by the youth.

During this era, love-themed music dominated various national music charts. Not only did mainstream pop or pop-rock bands appear on television and radio, but a wave of pop-Malay bands also enlivened the national music industry. Television programs like Dahsyat on RCTI and Inbox on SCTV provided a platform for these pop-Malay bands, featuring them in mainstream media every day.

Between 2003 and 2013, the music festival Soundrenaline still consistently featured a lineup of major national musicians and was held in various major cities across Indonesia. Starting in 2004, Soundrenaline began featuring international musicians such as The Weekend from Canada and The Casanovas from Australia as headliners alongside prominent national artists.

THE RISE OF INDIE AND MULTI-GENRE MUSIC IN FESTIVALS (2014-2019)

Indie musicians (a term popularly referring to independent and non-mainstream artists) and metal bands began to feature in the lineup of Soundrenaline 2014: Voice of Choice. This marked the festival’s embrace of a multi-genre narrative.

Prominent bands that were usually present at metal events and within the indie music community, such as Koil, Deadsquad, Burgerkill, and Seringai, energized the music festival with their heavy music genres.