Festival Budaya Internasional, more commonly known as Fesbud, is one of the programs organized by the CCU-LM Department under UKM Bahasa Asing “SAFEL”. This event is held annually to introduce the cultures of the countries represented in the UKM Bahasa Asing “SAFEL”. This year, the Festival Budaya Internasional has the theme “Culturenauts, The Whimsical Odyssey of Chrono Weavers Toward Cultural Diversity,” which is expected to serve as a place to celebrate cultural diversity and take visitors on a whimsical journey through the performances presented at this event.
This event opened with a teaser display of Festival Budaya Internasional, followed by the singing of the national anthem, Indonesia Raya. The opening speech was delivered by Nurmalinda Dwi Avianti, as the chairperson of the Festival Budaya Internasional 2026. The next speech was delivered by Rullie Andika Arif, the head of UKM Bahasa Asing “SAFEL”, followed by remarks from Miss Cinthia Reswari, the advisor of SAFEL. After the opening remarks, the event continued with lively performances by several guest stars, such as Safelite, Jolie Danse, SAFEL Dance Club (SDC), and Duta Budaya DIY.
In addition to lively performances by guest stars, this year’s Festival Budaya Internasional introduces a new inovation with the launch of a high school storytelling competition. This competition is expected to boost students’ confidence in public speaking and introduce folklores from the countries represented in the UKM Bahasa Asing “SAFEL”. The preliminary round of this competition was held from April 8th–27th, 2026, and the final round took place on the day of the Fesbud, Sunday, May 10th, 2026, in the Ballroom on the 4th floor of the Master’s and Doctoral Building, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, UNY. This storytelling competition also featured three highly competent judges in the field of storytelling, namely Dr. Annisa Nurul Ilmi, M.Pd., Dr. Rozanah Katrina Herda, M.Pd., and Annisa Lidya Ardiani.
The highlight of the Festival Budaya Internasional was the talk show with native speakers from seven countries. This year, Fesbud has invited seven native speakers from seven different countries: Hisam Sama from Thailand, Alaa Eltelwany from Egypt, Liu Ansu from China, Takahashi Mao from Japan, Louise Phillipe Christophe Ludovic Colemyn from France, Sanjeev Kumar from India, and Ridha Furi Alamsyah from Indonesia. The talk shows with these native speakers are divided into two sessions. The first session featured Ridha Furi Alamsyah (Indonesia), Liu Ansu (China), Alaa Eltelwany (Egypt), and Hisam Sama (Thailand). The second session featured Louise Phillipe Christophe Ludovic Colemyn (France), Sanjeev Kumar (India), and Takahashi Mao (Japan). At the end of each session, there was a quiz segment with door prizes for participants who answered the questions correctly.
Participants enjoyed the various amenities provided at the Festival Budaya Internasional 2026. There was a costume display booth where participants could get information about costume rentals provided by the CCU-LM Department. Additionally, there was a merchandise booth selling cute items with attractive designs, such as tote bags, keychains, pins, hand fans, and sticker sheets. There was also a photo booth that participants could use to capture moments with friends and family at this year’s Fesbud. The event concluded with a Random Play Dance and Sing Along open to all participants to boost the fun and excitement. At the end of the event, both participants and committee enthusiastically and energetically enjoyed the activities together. Hopefully, next year’s Fesbud will bring similar enthusiasm and energy—or even better. See you at Fesbud 2027, everyone!
– Layla and Linda –
