MAMAMOO cancels Jakarta concert after Anak Krakatau eruption and heightened security measures
South Korean group MAMAMOO has canceled its concert in the greater Jakarta area, which was scheduled to take place on September 19, 2026, at the NICE PIK 2 complex as part of the "4WARD" world tour. The decision was announced by agency RBW, which stated that following recent volcanic activity in Indonesia and the tightening of local security measures, circumstances that were difficult to predict had continued to develop. According to the agency's statement, the decision was made after discussions with the local promoter, with the safety of the group members and the audience placed as the top priority. All purchased tickets are expected to be fully refunded, while details of the procedure and refund deadlines will be announced separately by the ticketing platform and the local organizer. The concert was canceled only a few days before its planned date, during a period in which Indonesian authorities continue to monitor the consequences of increased activity at the Anak Krakatau volcano in the Sunda Strait.
The concert was supposed to be one of the stops on the "4WARD" tour
The performance titled "MAMAMOO 2026 WORLD TOUR 4WARD in JAKARTA" had been announced for Saturday, September 19, with a start time of 6:30 p.m. Western Indonesian Time. According to the official event website, the NICE PIK 2 venue is located in Kosambi, in the Tangerang area of Banten Province, west of central Jakarta, although promotional materials presented the concert as a Jakarta stop. Various ticket categories had been on sale, ranging from the most affordable seats to VVIP packages with additional benefits, and before the cancellation the organizers had also announced perks such as a soundcheck, group photos and signed promotional materials for part of the audience. The official event website listed base prices ranging from 950,000 to 4.3 million Indonesian rupiah, plus additional taxes and fees. After the cancellation, however, the key information for buyers became RBW's announcement that all purchased tickets would be fully refunded.
MAMAMOO, consisting of Solar, Moon Byul, Whee In and Hwa Sa, is continuing its joint concert activities on international stages with the "4WARD" tour. According to official ticketing platform Melon Ticket, the tour included three concerts in Seoul from June 19 to 21, 2026, and during the year includes a number of Asian cities. RBW Japan and the official Japanese fan club continue to list a concert in Tokyo on October 25, so the available announcements do not indicate that the cancellation in Jakarta automatically means a change to the entire tour. RBW described its decision as a measure related to local circumstances and safety assessments for the Indonesian stop. It is important to distinguish this from a postponement: according to the published notice, the Jakarta concert was not moved to a new date but canceled.
RBW cited unpredictable circumstances and audience safety
In a statement published on September 11, RBW said the decision had been made because of "unavoidable circumstances" after recent volcanic activity in Indonesia and strengthened local security measures created an unpredictable situation. The agency did not provide a detailed explanation in its message of the operational assessments that preceded the decision, but emphasized that it had spoken with the local promoter and that the safety of the performers and visitors was decisive. The official notice also stated that refund details would be announced through the ticketing platform and the local promoter. At that point, the effects of the Anak Krakatau eruption were already being felt in air traffic and in several parts of western Indonesia. The organizers' decision was therefore made in the context of a broader system of safety restrictions, rather than solely on the basis of conditions inside the concert venue itself.
The cancellation is particularly sensitive for international audiences because major K-pop concerts attract visitors who often book flights, hotels and local transportation in advance. A ticket refund does not automatically mean reimbursement of other travel expenses, so the conditions depend on the policies of individual carriers, accommodation providers and insurers. In its official notice, RBW limited its commitment to a full refund of purchased tickets and instructed buyers to follow separate information from the ticketing platform and the local promoter. For visitors, it is therefore most important to rely on the organizers' official channels rather than unofficial posts on social media. This is especially important in a situation where schedules and safety recommendations may change depending on new data about volcanic activity and traffic conditions.
Anak Krakatau experienced a 25-hour episode of continuous eruption
The broader security context stems from the activity of Anak Krakatau, an active volcano in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. According to Indonesia's Badan Geologi, a continuous eruptive episode began on September 4 at 11:07 p.m. local time and ended on September 6 at 12:04 a.m., after approximately 25 hours. Expert services recorded phenomena characteristic of strong Strombolian activity, including the ejection of incandescent material, volcanic ash and lava fountains. After the continuous phase of the eruption ended, activity did not stop completely: the official assessment of September 11 recorded new eruptions and a range of different seismic signals. Badan Geologi emphasized at the time that volcanic dynamics were still being closely monitored and that the probability of further eruptions remained elevated.
Indonesian authorities kept Anak Krakatau at Level III, or "Siaga" status, and Badan Geologi recommended that residents, visitors and tourists not enter a three-kilometer-radius zone around the center of volcanic activity. Official warnings list the ejection of incandescent rocks, heavy ashfall, possible lava flows and other direct volcanic phenomena among the main hazards. Residents in areas affected by ash were advised to reduce outdoor activities or use masks to protect their respiratory system. At the same time, authorities urged residents of coastal areas of Banten and Lampung to remain calm and rely on information from competent institutions rather than unverified rumors about possible consequences of the eruption. Such warnings show why organizers of major events must take into account not only conditions at the concert venue, but also transportation accessibility, air quality, logistics and the possibility of rapid changes in safety recommendations.
Volcanic ash temporarily closed eight airports
One of the most obvious consequences of the eruption was disrupted air connectivity. Indonesia's Ministry of Transportation announced that eight airports had been temporarily closed due to the spread of volcanic ash, including Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, the main air gateway to the Jakarta metropolitan area, and Halim Perdanakusuma in the capital itself. AirNav Indonesia issued aviation notices on temporary closures while the direction and concentration of ash were monitored. Such air-traffic measures are normally taken for safety reasons because volcanic ash can seriously endanger aircraft engines, navigation systems and other components. The disruptions affected a large number of flights and passengers, further increasing logistical uncertainty for events that depend on international arrivals of performers, technical crews and audiences.
The airports gradually reopened on September 8 following safety assessments, and on September 9 the Ministry of Transportation announced that operations at the previously affected airports had returned to normal, with enhanced monitoring continuing. The reopening of airports, however, did not mean that the volcanic danger had completely passed. Even after air traffic was restored, Badan Geologi continued to record volcanic and seismic activity and maintained the Level III alert. This distinction between the restoration of regular traffic and continuing geological uncertainty is important for understanding the concert decision: individual services may return to normal operation while organizers of a mass event may still assess that the overall risk is not sufficiently predictable. RBW therefore explained the decision as a combination of recent volcanic activity and heightened local security measures.
Another major South Korean event scheduled for the same day was also canceled
MAMAMOO is not the only South Korean act whose Jakarta event scheduled for September 19 was canceled. TONZ Entertainment announced on September 10 that "T.O.P PRE-STUDIO 2026," featuring the former BIGBANG member, would also not take place; he had been scheduled to perform the same day at Istora Senayan. That notice cited the "local situation" as the reason, without providing a more detailed explanation and without explicitly linking the decision to a specific volcano. The matching dates and the short interval between the two decisions demonstrate how quickly safety and logistical assessments can affect international appearances in a major city. Nevertheless, each decision should be viewed separately because different promoters, venues, productions and contractual arrangements may have different risk thresholds and operational requirements.
For the concert industry, volcanic activity represents a particularly complex risk because its effects can occur hundreds of kilometers from the crater itself. Ash can close air corridors, reroute or cancel flights, slow down equipment transportation and make it more difficult for large numbers of visitors to arrive. On an international tour, the schedule is additionally interconnected: a flight delay or inability to move equipment can affect preparations and later dates. At the same time, organizers must comply with local safety instructions, civil-protection assessments and the operating conditions of the venue itself. For that reason, a cancellation decision may remain in force even after some traffic restrictions are lifted, especially if the competent geological services continue to warn of the possibility of a new eruptive episode.
What now applies to ticket buyers
The most concrete commitment publicly made by RBW and the local organizer is a full refund of the ticket price. Buyers should follow the platform through which they made their purchase and the official channels of promoter WithUs Indonesia, because the refund method may vary depending on the payment method, type of transaction and bank. At the time the cancellation was announced, RBW did not specify a single universal date by which all funds had to be returned, but instead announced a separate notice containing the procedure and schedule. It is therefore not advisable to rely on unofficial forms, links or messages requesting additional personal or card information. During mass refunds, organizers and ticketing platforms usually process a large number of transactions, so official confirmation of the refund channel is essential to avoid fraud.
For the audience that had planned to travel to the Jakarta metropolitan area, the decision means that the concert on September 19 will not take place at NICE PIK 2. There is no confirmed replacement date, and officially this is a cancellation, not a postponement. Travelers who separately purchased plane tickets or booked accommodation must check the change and cancellation conditions with their service providers, because the announced concert ticket refund does not automatically cover those costs. At the same time, anyone traveling through western Indonesia should follow information from the Ministry of Transportation, airlines and Indonesian volcano-monitoring services, especially if new eruptions occur or the direction of ash dispersion changes. The air-traffic safety situation can change rapidly even when airports are formally open.
The volcano remains a key factor in safety assessments
Anak Krakatau is one of the most closely monitored volcanic structures in Indonesia, a country with a large number of active volcanoes because of its location in the tectonically very active Pacific Ring of Fire. Badan Geologi states that the present-day Anak Krakatau developed within the caldera area of the historic Krakatau, and its activity is systematically monitored from observation posts and with instruments. In December 2018, the collapse of part of the volcanic structure during an eruption triggered a tsunami in the Sunda Strait, which is why current warnings particularly emphasize disciplined monitoring of official information. The current episode from September 2026 has not been presented as a repetition of that event, and authorities explicitly urged residents of coastal areas not to spread unfounded claims about a tsunami. The focus of official recommendations remains on respecting the exclusion zone, caution regarding ash and monitoring changes in activity.
For MAMAMOO, the practical consequence of this uncertainty is clear: the Jakarta stop of the tour on September 19 has been removed from the schedule, with priority shifted to safety and refunds for the audience. For fans of the group, the decision comes at a time when "4WARD" was conceived as a major reunion of the members on international stages, so disappointment over the canceled date is understandable. Nevertheless, the available official information shows that the organizers made the decision during a period of genuine transport disruptions and continuing volcanic activity, rather than for ordinary production reasons. Until any new announcement is made, there is no confirmed replacement date for Jakarta. The latest relevant information about the concert should therefore be sought through RBW and the local promoter, while information about Anak Krakatau should be obtained from Indonesian geological and transportation authorities.
Sources:
- Soompi - announcement and full translation of RBW's statement on the concert cancellation and full ticket refunds (link)
- MAMAMOO 2026 WORLD TOUR 4WARD in Jakarta - official event website with the date, venue and information about ticket categories (link)
- Melon Ticket - official information on the "4WARD" tour concerts in Seoul from June 19 to 21, 2026 (link)
- RBW Japan - official announcement about the "4WARD" tour concert in Tokyo on October 25, 2026 (link)
- Badan Geologi, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Indonesia - official assessment of Anak Krakatau's activity dated September 11, 2026, Level III status and safety recommendations (link)
- Badan Geologi - special report dated September 5, 2026, on the continuous eruption, the history of Anak Krakatau and volcanic hazards (link)
- BNPB - official update on Anak Krakatau's activity, the continuation of Level III status and hazards following the 25-hour eruptive episode (link)
- Ministry of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia - information on the reopening of airports and normalization of operations following disruptions caused by volcanic ash (link)
- AirNav Indonesia - official aviation notices on the temporary closure of Soekarno-Hatta and other airports due to volcanic ash (link)
- Soompi - confirmation of the cancellation of the T.O.P PRE-STUDIO 2026 event in Jakarta, scheduled for the same date (link)