Jakarta is about to get a whole lot sweeter, with a soundtrack to match. From 1–20 September, Jakarta Dessert Week (JDW) 2026 takes over dessert spots across the city, with 42 brands and dozens of outlets serving limited-edition creations inspired by this year’s wonderfully unexpected theme: DANGDUT. Visitors can also head to Dessert Markt at fX Sudirman, where emerging dessert, pastry and beverage brands set up shop, with workshops, demos and the Golden Swirl Awards 2026 adding to the festival line-up.
Pairing dangdut with dessert may sound unexpected, but that is exactly where the fun begins. JDW is inviting chefs, bakers and F&B brands to interpret the genre through flavour, texture, visuals and the overall dessert experience. With dangdut’s unmistakably Indonesian character as a starting point, each participating brand gets to decide what that sounds — and tastes — like on the plate.
The easiest way to explore is through City Takeover, which brings participating brands into different corners of Jakarta. Instead of heading to one festival venue, you can make your own dessert itinerary around the city, stopping at pastry shops, bakeries, restaurants and other F&B spots to see how each one interprets the theme.
Dessert Markt at fX Sudirman puts the spotlight on emerging brands. Newer names in the dessert, pastry and beverage scene will be gathered under one roof, making the market a useful stop for anyone curious about what is next in Jakarta’s sweet scene. The weekend programme includes demos and workshops by Ibu2ID and Urban Workshop, supported by Modena kitchen equipment.
JDW also opens with an Industry & Media Gathering, where around 300 people from the F&B and creative industries will meet to kick off the festival. The Golden Swirl Awards 2026 will later recognise talent across Jakarta’s dessert and pastry scene, with a jury drawn from different corners of the creative and culinary worlds. The panel includes Ian Eryanto, Founder of JKTGO; Ray Janson, chef-consultant and Founder of Ray Janson Radio; Chef Louis Tanuhadi, President of APCA (Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts); Anton Wirjono, Founder of Brightspot Market; Chef Luvita Ho, winner of MasterChef Season 4; and the Founders of Jakarta Dessert Week.
The awards also introduce two new categories this year. Branding of The Year, judged in collaboration with the Asosiasi Desainer Grafis Indonesia (ADGI), looks at a brand’s identity, visual communication and overall brand experience. Tiramisu of The Year, meanwhile, is judged in collaboration with the Istituto Italiano di Cultura Jakarta. The judging takes place at Modena Culinaria on Jalan Suryo, before the awards ceremony at Le Château Marqen at Marqen Hotel in West Jakarta.
For visitors, JDW’s collaboration with ISMAYA+ makes that dessert trail easier to navigate, with the lifestyle app helping users discover participating merchants and activities, while also offering reservations, rewards and special offers along the way. With 20 days to explore, Jakarta’s dessert scene is ready to keep you hopping from one sweet stop to the next.
Follow their official Instagram page @dessertweek.id to get the latest information about the schedules or contact info@jakartadessertweek.com
