Photos show how these city-dwellers cut loose and build community

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Two men held rubber bands apart at chest height while a woman hopped over them from one side to the other, earning applause and boisterous encouragement from others marveling at her leaps.

They were among more than 250 people from the Jakarta, Indonesia, area who recently joined weekly activities organized by Komunitas Bermain, meaning Playing Community in English, in Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, the city’s main arena.

Thousands of residents regularly participate in the play groups, as well as singing groups organized by Nyanyi Bareng Jakarta, which means Jakarta Singing Together in English. The events that started as casual meetups to preserve Indonesian traditional culture have grown quickly through social media into popular ways to connect through shared nostalgia and interests.

Playing Community founder Akihiko Akira, 23, said the group began when he and fellow Taylor Swift fans gathered to play childhood games at Gelora Bung in August 2024.

Hundreds of participants now gather on Friday evenings to take part in traditional games including “gundu” involving players flicking a small marble, “suit monopoli” in which players jump on one leg over shoes in a path, plus the classic jumping rope.

“From my own experience, it is nostalgic. Clearly, nostalgia is really helpful for us, besides releasing our inner child, nostalgia also releases our stress. So it’s a short escape for us,” Akira said.

Biya Angelina, a 25-year-old social media specialist, said she joined the community because she spends her days working online and needed to meet new friends.

“The good side is that I automatically get sweating. And then also I feel like my social life is built here. I get to know new people, people with different backgrounds. I understand people better, too,” Angelina said, adding that she feels grateful she does not need to pay a fee to enjoy the evenings.

Nyanyi Bareng Jakarta offers opportunities to join with other amateur vocalists in a rented hall to belt out popular selections such as “You’ll Be In My Heart” by Phil Collins.

The singers use the motto “finding friends, finding voice” and promote the events on social media with the hashtag #nojudgementzone. They are guided by five vocal coaches who help blend their efforts into layered harmonies.

“I am a bathroom singer. I feel so comfortable here, as it is a no judgement zone. So I am not afraid if I get a false voice,” said Titas Winola, a food and beverage company worker. “It will be accepted as they are the same as me. It is awesome.”

Despite a fee of 150,000 rupiah ($9) for the singing sessions, weekly spots consistently sell out.

“When they are in the bathroom they can sing, they just sing bravely. We want to create Nyanyi Bareng Jakarta to be like a bathroom for you, guys,” Nyanyi Bareng Jakarta co-founder Meda Kawu told participants.

Muhamad Sulhan, a media sociology lecturer at Gadjah Mada University, said sharing games or singing can help people connect with strangers while also exploring aspects of themselves, as well as taking a break from the daily stress of work and big city life.

“We are not actually seeing them as different people, but rather as people who are longing for an avatar of themselves that is manifested in a shared passion,” Sulhan said.