Indonesians protest Andrea Bocelli's concert over ‘Israel’ ties

• GPK ATB and FAUIB Jateng-DIY staged a demonstration outside Borobudur on Oct. 31.
• Protesters arrived in a convoy of motorcycles and cars and delivered speeches opposing Bocelli's concert.
• The groups challenged the decision to proceed despite the withdrawal of the local police's permit recommendation.

Members of the Gerakan Pemuda Ka'bah (GPK) movement staged a major demonstration in Magelang, Central Java, on Saturday, Oct. 31, opposing Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli's concert at the historic Borobudur Temple over his ties to ‘Israel’.

The demonstration took place as Bocelli was scheduled to perform at the UNESCO-listed temple as part of his Romanza 30th Anniversary World Tour, with protesters calling for the event to be cancelled.

The protest forms part of growing opposition in Indonesia to the singer's performances, with several Islamic organizations and pro-Palestinian groups challenging the decision to host him in the country.

According to local reports, demonstrators travelled to the Borobudur complex in a convoy of motorcycles and cars before gathering outside the temple's tourism grounds to deliver speeches against the performance. The demonstration was organized by GPK's West Bank Alliance (GPK ATB), alongside the United Front of Islamic Communities of Central Java and Yogyakarta (FAUIB Jateng-DIY).

GPK ATB leader Yanto Petox's said the group supported the Magelang police's decision to withdraw its recommendation for the concert permit, criticizing the organizers for proceeding with the event despite the objections.

Protest organizers also accused the authorities of failing to provide a promised clarification over Bocelli's links to ‘Israel’. They said an agreement reached during an Oct. 28 meeting with local officials, Borobudur tourism management and concert organizers had called for three government ministries to clarify the matter within 24 hours.

The demonstration came amid a wider campaign against Bocelli's Indonesian performances, led in part by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the country's most influential Islamic scholarly body.

On Oct. 13, MUI formally called for the cancellation of the concerts, citing Bocelli's participation in a 2010 fundraising event in Los Angeles for the Friends of ‘Israel’ forces and his performance in Tel Aviv in 2022. The council argued that his past activities were incompatible with Indonesia's support for Palestinian rights.

The opposition has also spread beyond Magelang. An alliance of Islamic organizations from Central Java and Yogyakarta held a mass religious gathering and joint prayers on Saturday, with local media reporting participation from nearly 70 organizations following weeks of mobilization.

Despite the objections, concert promoter Shoemaker Live confirmed that Bocelli's performances would proceed as scheduled, arguing that they would contribute to Indonesia's tourism and cultural sectors.

The Borobudur performance is part of the Italian tenor's Romanza 30th Anniversary World Tour. A second Indonesian concert is scheduled for November 3 at JIExpo Kemayoran in Jakarta.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, has long supported Palestinian statehood and does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with ‘Israel’. The controversy has brought renewed attention to public opposition to ‘Israel's’ war on Gaza and to perceived associations with ‘Israeli’ institutions.

Dengan ciri khasnya, sore ini Gerakan Pemuda Ka'bah menggelar aksi besar di Magelang, menolak kedatangan penyanyi Zionist Andrea Bocelli yang direncanakan konser di Borobudur #FreePalestine #Palestina #IsraeliJewishZionistTerrorism https://t.co/mlWBOfqynk

— 🇵🇸 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗺 𝗖𝘆𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗿𝗺𝘆 ☪ (@MCAOps) October 31, 2026