The Bung Karno Sports Complex (), better known as Gelora Bung Karno; formerly named the Asian Games Complex () and the Senayan Sports Complex () from 1969 to 2001, is a sports complex located in Gelora, Central Jakarta, bordering the Senayan, South Jakarta because of its large location. This sports complex consists of a main stadium, secondary stadium, two main indoor gymnasiums known as the Sports Palace (Istora) and the Indonesia Arena, football fields, aquatic stadium, tennis stadiums (indoor and outdoor), hockey, baseball and archery fields, and other gymnasiums.
Originally built with substantial Soviet assistance, this sports complex was a brain child of Sukarno, the first President of Indonesia, in order to host the 1962 Asian Games. It was built in 1960, and underwent major renovation for the 2018 Asian Games and Asian Para Games.
History After the Asian Games Federation declared Jakarta to host the 1962 Asian Games in 1958, the minimum requirement that was yet to be met by Jakarta was the availability of a multi-sport complex. In response to this, President Sukarno issued Presidential Decree No. 113/1959 dated 11 May 1959 about the establishment of the Asian Games Council of Indonesia (DAGI) led by Minister of Sports Maladi. Sukarno, as an architect and civil engineering graduate, proposed a location near M. H. Thamrin Boulevard and Menteng, namely the area of Karet, Pejompongan, or Dukuh Atas. Friedrich Silaban, a renowned architect who accompanied Sukarno to review the location by helicopter, disagreed with the selection of Dukuh Atas because he argued the construction of a sports complex in the center of the future downtown area will potentially create massive traffic congestion. Sukarno agreed and instead assigned the Senayan area with an area of approximately 300 hectares.
The first pole erection was done symbolically by Sukarno and Soviet First Deputy Premier Anastas Mikoyan on 8 February 1960. Construction of Istora was completed in May 1961. The secondary stadium, Swimming Stadium, and Tennis Stadium followed in December 1961. The main stadium was completed on 21 July 1962, a month before the games. The sports complex hosts a main stadium with a capacity of 77,193 seats, athletic stadium, football fields, aquatic stadium, tennis stadiums (indoor and outdoor), hockey, baseball and archery fields, and several indoor gymnasiums.Schwarzer gives kind assessment of Kawaguchi | The Japan Times Online Built over 279 hectares of land, it is the largest sports complex in Indonesia. The Gelora Bung Karno Stadium is the main building within this sports complex. The abbreviation Gelora also means "vigorous" (like the flame or ocean wave) in the Indonesian language. Other than hosting several sports facilities, the sports complex is also a popular place for people of Jakarta to do physical exercises; jogging, bicycling, aerobics, and calisthenics, especially during the weekend.
On 29 April 2025, the Indonesian sovereign wealth fund agency, Danantara, planned to take over the management of the GBK complex from the current manager, Ministry of State Secretariat. Danantara CEO Rosan Roeslani stated that the complex has a well prospect as "one of the largest state assets, but still limited in utilization and return on investment."
Sporting events
For the first time, the sports complex was host fourth Asian Games in 1962. The main stadium hosted the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. Other competitions held there were several AFF Championship finals and domestic cup finals. The Istora hosted numbers of BWF World Championships, Sudirman Cup, Thomas Cup and Uber Cup badminton competitions. The tennis stadium hosted most of Indonesia's home matches at the Davis Cup and Fed Cup.
The sports complex hosted multi-event sport such as Pekan Olahraga Nasional (PON, National Sports Week) and Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games). The complex hosted the PON seven times between 1973 and 1996. The complex hosted the SEA Games in 1979, 1987, 1997 and 2011; the latter was co-hosted with Jakabaring Sport City complex in Palembang. It also hosted 2018 Asian Games along with Palembang's complex and some other venues across Palembang, Banten, Greater Jakarta and West Java, while it served only with other venues across Greater Jakarta and West Java during the subsequent Para Games.
The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup was held at a new 17,150 seater arena within the sports complex known as Indonesia Arena; Indonesia was the co-host along with Japan and the Philippines. In 2025, Indonesia Arena hosted the 53rd Artistic Gymnastics World Championships.
Facilities
Sports venues VenuePurposeCapacityBuiltNotesTenantsGelora Bung Karno Main StadiumMulti-use, mostly football77,1931960Largest stadium in Indonesia (1962–2022)Indonesia national football teamIstora Gelora Bung KarnoMulti-use, mostly badminton7,1661960Indonesia Open (badminton) and Indonesia MastersGelora Bung Karno Aquatic StadiumAquatic sports7,8001960Formerly named "Swimming Stadium"Gelora Bung Karno Tennis Indoor StadiumMulti-use, mostly volleyball and concerts3,7501993First sports arena in Southeast Asia to use retractable roof, it is no longer operable.Gelora Bung Karno Tennis Outdoor Stadium (Center Court)Tennis3,8001960Gelora Bung Karno Madya StadiumAthletics and football9,1701960Gelora Bung Karno Basketball HallBasketball2,4001960Gelora Bung Karno Baseball FieldBaseball1,3202016Built on site of 12 tennis clay courts and 6 tennis hard courtsGelora Bung Karno Hockey FieldField hockey8181973Gelora Bung Karno Softball FieldSoftball≈5001996Also called Lapangan Softball Pintu Satu (Gate One Softball Field) to distinguish it with the nearby, now-demolished Cemaratiga Softball Field.Can be upgraded with temporary seats to 2,000 capacity.Gelora Bung Karno Archery FieldArchery971973Gelora Bung Karno Rugby FieldRugbyN/A2017Built on the site of Lapangan D (D Football Field)Shooting rangeShooting N/A1992New location. Mulia Hotel now stands in the original site.GBK ArenaMulti-sports training halls N/A2016Located outside the main complex on the west, built on the site of Asia Afrika Sports Hall, a badminton training hall (originally completed in 1986)Volleyball Training HallVolleyball training N/A1988A, B, and C Football FieldFootball training N/A 1970Gateball CourtGateball N/A 2017Beach Volleyball CourtBeach volleyball N/A 1996Gelora Bung Karno Squash StadiumSquash560 1996Also called D Hall ()Gelora Bung Karno Tennis CourtTennis N/A 1993 Two hard courtsIndonesia ArenaMulti-use16,5002023During construction known as the "Indoor Multifunction Stadium"; held the 2023 FIBA Basketball World CupIndonesia men's national basketball team
Other buildings
Other buildings inside the complex Jakarta International Convention Center (completed 1974) Al Bina mosque (completed 2001) Jakarta Sultan Hotel (formerly Hilton Hotel Jakarta, completed 1971) Mulia Hotel (completed 1994) Krida Loka Park (completed 1987) GBK City Park (completed in 2019, stands on what was the Senayan Golf Course & Driving Range) Initially, the sports complex covers a much larger area than it is today. During the 1980s to 1990s, several land plots were developed into non-sport facilities. The northern area was developed into government offices while the southern area was developed into hotels and shopping malls. The complex also had a radio-controlled car circuit northwest of the main stadium, which was scrapped during the 2017 renovation.
Northern area DPR/MPR (Parliament) Building (completed 1968) TVRI Studios and National Headquarters Building (completed 1962) Ministry of Youth and Sports Building (completed 1983) National Forestry Museum (Manggala Wanabakti, formerly Ministry of Forestry office, completed 1983) Senayan Park (completed 2020, stands on the former site of Taman Ria Senayan)
Southern area The southern area was originally an athlete village for the 1962 Asian Games. The village was demolished in the 1970s. Several buildings now stood in their location. Century Park Hotel (completed 1990) Ratu Plaza (completed 1982) Plaza Senayan (completed 1996) Senayan Trade Center (completed 2006) Senayan City (completed 2006) fX Sudirman (completed 2008) Fairmont Jakarta Hotel (completed 2015) Multipurpose Building (completed 1987)
Demolished buildings or facilities Remote controlled-car racing circuit Asia Afrika Sports Hall Volleyball Arena that was used during the 1962 Asian Games 18 tennis courts located south of the tennis stadiums. Roller sports court Gymnastics Building Cemaratiga Softball Field Senayan Golf Range Street Dirt Senayan
Entertainment events
Main Stadium
Istora
Indonesia Arena
Madya Stadium
Tennis Indoor/Outdoor
2000 - 2019 DateArtistsEvents9 March 2009Lamb of GodWrath Tour29 April 2010Kelly ClarksonAll I Ever Wanted Tour28 September 2012KeaneStrangeland Tour3 November 2012Wonder GirlsWonder World Tour27 May 2013Carly Rae JepsenThe Summer Kiss Tour19 October 2013CNBLUEBlue Moon World Tour14 February 2015TaeyangRise World Tour18 November 2018iKoniKon 2018 Continue Tour24 March 2019BoyzoneThank You & Goodnight Tour13 August 2019LANYMalibu Nights World Tour14 August 201930 November 2019Day6Gravity World Tour1 December 201928 December 2019IULove, Poem29 December 2019
2020 - present DateArtistsEvents19 January 2020Bon IverI, I Tour14 July 2022Louis TomlinsonLouis Tomlinson World Tour4 February 2023ItzyCheckmate World Tour23 April 2024IncubusAsia Tour 202430 April 2024All Time LowForever26 May 2024EveEve Asia Tour 2024 "Culture"8 June 2024BabyMonsterBABYMONSTER PRESENTS: SEE YOU THERE10 August 2024SuhoWELCOME TO SU:HOME13 November 2024Take ThatTHIS LIFE ON TOUR18 January 2025InfiniteInfinite 15th Anniversary Concert: Limited Edition31 May 2025NCT WishNCT WISH LOGIN SEOUL-ASIA14 June 2025Kai KAI SOLO CONCERT TOUR <KAION>12 November 2025Hatsune MikuMiku Expo 2025 Asia
Basketball Hall DateArtistsEvents28 November 2022KeshiHell/Heaven Tour29 November 202223 November 2023D4vdPetals to Thorns Tour6 July 2024LisaLiVE is Smile Always Asia Tour 202428 June 2025STAYC2025 STAYC TOUR STAYTUNED
Gallery
Notes
References
Bibliography
External links