An Open Letter to PBSI: The Lights Are Brighter, But the Seats Are Empty

While watching the 2026 Daihatsu Indonesia Masters on YouTube this week, I was immediately struck by the difference. The technical upgrades are undeniable and deserve applause. From the broadcast, the lighting at the legendary Istora Senayan appeared sharper, eliminating those pesky shadows that used to annoy players on the corner courts. The new camera angles brought the action closer than ever, and the enhanced on-court audio captured every smash and squeak of shoes with cinematic clarity.

From a production standpoint, the 2026 Indonesia Masters is a triumph. It looks and feels like a premium Super 500 event should.

However, as the matches rolled into the third day—typically the heating-up period of the Round of 16—another sight struck me, one far less pleasant than the high-definition screens. Looking around the tribunes, I saw something that should be alien to Istora Senayan: empty seats.

Blocks of blue and red seats sat vacant. The famous “Eaa-Eaa” chants, usually a deafening wall of sound that terrifies visiting players, felt thinner. The magic was there, but the volume was turned down. This visual of empty seats in the “Mecca of Badminton” is a heartbreaking reality check that we, and most importantly PBSI (The Badminton Association of Indonesia), can no longer ignore.

The Elephant in the Room: The Price of Passion

Let’s be blunt. The ticket prices have become a barrier that even the most fanatical love for badminton cannot breach.

We are currently navigating the economic landscape of early 2026. It is no secret that the Indonesian economy is facing significant headwinds. Purchasing power has not recovered as quickly as we hoped; inflation in essential goods has tightened household budgets, and for many young people—the demographic base of badminton fandom—disposable income is a luxury they simply do not have right now.

When a single day’s ticket for a preliminary round costs a significant portion of a minimum wage worker’s weekly earnings, we have a problem. Badminton has always been the “people’s sport” in Indonesia. It is the one stage where we consistently stand tall as world giants. But if the people can no longer afford to enter the arena to cheer for their heroes, we risk severing the lifeline of this sport.

The empty seats on the third day of the Indonesia Masters are not a sign of waning interest. The millions of interactions on social media prove that the passion is as fiery as ever. Those empty seats are a sign of exclusion. They are a silent protest from fans who simply had to choose between buying groceries and buying a ticket.

The Solution for the Super 1000: Indonesia Arena

We are now looking ahead to the crown jewel of our badminton calendar: the 2026 Indonesia Open. As a BWF World Tour Super 1000 event, this tournament carries higher prestige, higher points, and inevitably, higher operational costs. If PBSI continues with the current pricing strategy at Istora Senayan, we risk an even more embarrassing spectacle: a half-empty arena for one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world.

There is a clear solution, one that has been discussed in whispers but needs to be executed with conviction: Move the Indonesia Open to the Indonesia Arena.

The Indonesia Arena, located just a stone’s throw away in the GBK complex, is a world-class venue waiting to be properly utilized for our national sport.

1. The Mathematics of Scale The math is simple. Istora Senayan holds approximately 7,100 spectators. The Indonesia Arena can accommodate up to 16,000 to 16,500 spectators.

By more than doubling the capacity, PBSI has the opportunity to drastically alter the supply-and-demand curve. A larger supply of seats means ticket prices can be lowered significantly while still maintaining—or even increasing—total revenue.

Imagine this: instead of selling 7,000 tickets at an exorbitant price that alienates the working class, sell 16,000 tickets at half that price. The atmosphere would be electric. The wall of sound would return, twice as loud as before. The sheer intimidation factor for rival nations would be restored.

2. Overcoming the “Technical” Excuses We have heard the reasons before. In previous years, plans to move to the Indonesia Arena were scrapped due to technical issues—specifically, that the roof rigging could not support the heavy lighting and decoration setups required by the BWF.

It is now 2026. “Cannot” is no longer an acceptable answer. If the rigging is the issue, engineer a solution. Use ground-supported lighting trusses; work with the venue management to upgrade the load-bearing points; or adapt the production design to fit the venue, rather than forcing the venue to fit the production.

If we can host world-class FIBA basketball events and massive international concerts at the Indonesia Arena, it is baffling that we cannot figure out how to hang badminton lights. The fans should not have to pay the price for a lack of logistical creativity.

Restoring the “Istora” Spirit in a New Home

We all love Istora. It is hallowed ground. The ghosts of Susy Susanti, Taufik Hidayat, and Gideon/Sukamuljo linger in those rafters. Leaving it is painful. But we must realize that the “Istora Spirit” is not about the building; it is about the people inside it.

If the building is too small to accommodate the people at a fair price, then the building has become a cage.

The 2026 Indonesia Masters has shown us that PBSI is capable of improving the show. The lights are better, the audio is crisp. Now, we ask for the most important improvement of all: Accessibility.

We urge the PBSI and the organizing committee to take a bold step for the Indonesia Open later this year. Move to the Indonesia Arena. Slash the ticket prices. Fill those 16,000 seats with students, with families, with the loud, raucous, passionate fans that make Indonesia the envy of the badminton world.

Don’t let badminton become a sport for the elite. Give the game back to the people. We are ready to fill the stadium; please, just give us a price we can pay.

What PBSI Can Do Next?

For the upcoming 2026 Indonesia Open, PBSI should immediately form a specialized task force to conduct a feasibility study on moving the venue to Indonesia Arena, focusing specifically on:

1. Rigging Solutions: Hiring structural engineers to solve the lighting load issue.
2. Dynamic Pricing Modeling: calculating how filling 16,000 seats at a 40-50% price reduction affects total revenue compared to the current Istora model.