Festival Perahu Bidar Tradisional

The Festival Perahu Bidar Tradisional 2025 will be held once again, featuring a rowing competition on the Musi River over a distance of 1,500 meters, starting from the former 35 Ilir harbor and finishing at the Benteng Kuto Besak Plaza. The event preserves the tradition of the bidar boat, originally made from unglin wood, 29 meters long. However, due to the rarity of trees over 30 meters long, the boats now use joined wooden planks. Each boat consists of 55 rowers and 2 motivators, competing through elimination rounds to the finals.

In 2025, the theme of the event is "Discovering the Musi River as the Heart of Civilization Through Traditional Bidar Boats," with a concept combining the bidar boat competition, a decorated motor boat parade, an introduction to the traditional bidar boat, a public entertainment stage, and a regional development exhibition. This event is part of the celebration of Indonesia's Independence Day and aims to preserve this nearly extinct cultural heritage.