Festival Budaya Internasional, widely known as Fesbud, is one of the major programs of UKM Bahasa Asing “SAFEL” organized by the CCU-LM department. It’s an annual event held to introduce the cultures of 6 countries represented in the UKM Bahasa Asing “SAFEL” . This year, Fesbud carries the theme “HISTORIA: JOURNEY THROUGH HISTORY, CELEBRATE ITS TIMELESS ENERGY”, a theme that is hoped to serve as a gateway to explore the historical richness of various countries, allowing visitors to celebrate its timeless energy. This event is open not only to UNY students but also to the general public. Festival Budaya Internasional 2025 was opened with a performance of Buchaechum, a traditional Korean fan dance presented by one of the guest stars. It was followed by singing Indonesia Raya, then continued with an opening speech by Nanda Ardianing Putri as the chairperson of Festival Budaya Internasional 2025. The next speech was delivered by Shari Cahya Trimurti, the head of UKM Bahasa Asing “SAFEL”, who officially inaugurated the event. This was followed by remarks from Miss Cinthia Reswari, the advisor of SAFEL, and concluded with a speech by Mr. Iis Prasetyo, Secretary of the Directorate of Academic, Student, and Alumni Affairs of Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta.
Festival Budaya Internasional 2025 was held at a different venue compared to previous years. This year, Fesbud took place on the 3rd floor of the KPLT Building, Faculty of Engineering, UNY. The event was held on Sunday, May 11th, 2025, from 09:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Although it was held in a new and different location, the audience remained highly interested and enthusiastic in attending Fesbud.This year’s Fesbud featured five guest stars: Buchaechum, Hikari, Hipercoustique, Safelite, and SDC (SAFEL Dance Club).
The main highlight of Fesbud was the talk show sessions with foreigners. This year, representatives from seven countries attended Fesbud: Kim Boyeon from South Korea, Taichi Mori from Japan, Lu Han from China, Ettiene Hus from France, Khosiyat Sultonova from Tajikistan, Abu Horaira from Indonesia, and Alfi Syahri from Indonesia.The talk show was divided into two sessions. The first session featured Lu Han (China), Kim Boyeon (South Korea), Taichi Mori (Japan), and Ettiene Hus (France). The second session was filled by Khosiyat Sultonova (Tajikistan), Abu Horaira (Pakistan), and Alfi Syahri (Indonesia).One foreigner from each session also performed a singing, Taichi Mori from Japan and Alfi Syahri from Indonesia. At the end of each talk show session, there was a quiz segment for the audience, and those who answered correctly were given prizes.
In addition to listening to the talk shows, participants also had the opportunity to visit the foreigners’ booths to taste dishes from each country’s stand. They could directly interact with the foreigners and gain interesting insights about their countries exploring unique items, learning about the culture, and even delving into the historical background of each nation. This year’s Fesbud also brought a fresh new touch by introducing a game session, where participants joined a fun group quiz. Those with the highest scores received exciting prizes, including Fesbud merchandise and other special gifts.
Participants gained a variety of exciting benefits from this year’s Fesbud. There was a game booth where they could play fun games and win vouchers, which could be used to rent traditional outfits and access the photo booth. Other types of vouchers were also available. In addition, there were lots of cute and affordable merch items, including tumblers, keychains, tote bags, and fans, all featuring attractive designs. Besides the game session mentioned earlier, a new and exciting activity was introduced this year: Random Play Dance, which was open to all participants and brought an extra dose of fun to the event. The 2025 Fesbud ended on a high note with a Sing Along session, where participants sang together with full energy. Even though the event ran from morning until evening, both participants and committee members stayed enthusiastic and full of spirit, perfectly reflecting the theme of “timeless energy” that truly lived in their hearts.
My hope for next year’s Fesbud is that it becomes even cooler and more awesome. See you at Fesbud 2026, folks!
– Nanda<3
