The Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex (GBK) is currently undergoing a transformation in land use, adopting a multifunctional and inclusive approach to elevate its status as a leading sports hub and a world-class venue for cultural, entertainment, and tourism events in Southeast Asia.
Born from the visionary thoughts of Indonesia’s first president, Soekarno, GBK was built to present the nation’s face to the world. Its construction followed Indonesia’s selection as the host of the 4th Asian Games on 23 May 1958. This moment was a source of immense pride for the Indonesian people, who had recently gained independence and could scarcely have imagined having such a comprehensive multi-sports complex.
Since its opening in 1960, when it hosted the 1962 Asian Games, GBK has become an iconic destination in Jakarta, offering a variety of facilities beyond sports. Eighty-four per cent of the complex remains an open green area, home to rare species of trees and birds. Many Jakarta residents take advantage of these lush green parks for relaxation, providing an oasis in the heart of the bustling city.
Covering an area of 279.1 hectares, GBK is comprised of a sports zone (52%), government area (24%), and commercial area (24%). The sports zones primarily consist of heritage buildings, including the main stadium, secondary stadium, football pitch, aquatic stadium, basketball hall, and tennis stadium. The area is home to some of Jakarta’s top hospitality and entertainment destinations as well, including Fairmont Jakarta, Hotel Mulia Senayan, The Sultan Hotel & Residence, Harris Hotel FX Sudirman, and Artotel Gelora Senayan, as well as shopping malls, cafes, and restaurants. Of course, the Senayan National Golf Club and its surrounding venues has long been one of the area’s main pulls.
As a key destination for Jakarta, it has been essential to include GBK in the city’s growing network of transportation infrastructure. Thus, it has been crucially integrated into with the MRT, LRT, TransJakarta, and Commuter Line/KAI, to ensure accessibility through public transport.
In terms of land use, the GBK area is managed by the Public Service Agency (BLU) – Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex Management Centre (PPK GBK), a government agency under the Ministry of State Secretariat (Mensesneg).
In 2020, the Ministry of Finance announced that after a revaluation and audit by the Financial Audit Board (BPK), the value of GBK’s assets reached IDR 348 trillion (US$21.8 billion, based on the 2020 valuation). This includes land valued at IDR 345 trillion and buildings valued at IDR 3 trillion. GBK’s assets are the most valuable among Indonesia’s total state assets, which amount to IDR 10,467.53 trillion.
As a government asset, GBK contributes 15% of its revenue to the state treasury, with the remaining 85% used for operational costs, including maintenance, repairs, construction, and other needs.
“GBK’s vision is to become a modern, environmentally friendly, and world-class integrated area. We strive to accommodate inclusive community activities, such as sports, social, cultural, political, religious, entertainment, and educational events. GBK will continue to innovate and transform in line with the need to survive, maintain sports facilities independently (without relying on the state budget), meet user and stakeholder expectations, and keep pace with growth in the digital era,” explained Rakhmadi Afif Kusumo, the President Director of Gelora Bung Karno Sports Complex Management Centre (PPK GBK).
As we know, GBK underwent extensive renovations of its sports facilities in 2018 for the Asian Games and Asian Para Games. Since then, this sports hub has hosted numerous prestigious events, including the FIFA U-17 World Cup and global superstar concerts, such as those by Blackpink and Coldplay.
“We seize the opportunity to organise strategic projects or events on an international scale, whether in sports, music, art, technology, culture, or automotive. This effort is achieved through strategic partnerships,” said Rakhmadi, who also mentioned that GBK will host the 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championship in 2025, where 70 countries are expected to participate.
At the end of 2023, PPK GBK also transitioned the management of one of the commercial areas, previously managed through partnerships, to Human Resources and/or Management Cooperation. This includes collaboration with Artotel Group to operate Artotel Gelora Senayan in Block 18 and plans to revitalise Block 15, home to The Sultan Hotel and Residence, once legal issues with the hotel management are resolved. This approach aims to optimise asset utilisation, foster innovation in area management service schemes, enhance the quality of sports services, and maximise contributions to the state.
In developing sports tourism destinations, GBK has implemented various sustainable programmes over the last six years. These include efforts to enhance the visitor experience, such as providing facilities for disabled visitors, integrating public transportation services, improving the quality management system, expanding retail and MSME services, advancing technology, and increasing initiatives to promote environmental conservation in the GBK area. These initiatives include water-saving actions (Jakarta Water Hero 2024), independent post-event and daily waste management (GBK Green House), and the use of renewable energy sources.
“For this reason, we encourage GBK visitors, whom we refer to as GBK People, to explore the services we provide as widely as possible,” Rakhmadi concluded, highlighting that the three most popular spots in the GBK area are the green open spaces, the main stadium for football and jogging, and the indoor and outdoor tennis stadiums.
Rakhmadi also noted that the management of GBK welcomes all feedback and complaints from visitors, which can be submitted directly to @love_gbk or via email at info@gbk.id.
