The Rising Popularity of Pacu Jalur After Viral 'Aura Farming' Phenomenon
Reporter
July 9, 2025 | 05:41 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Pacu Jalur boat race which will be held at Tepian Narosa, Teluk Kuantan, Kuantan Singingi, Indonesia, has garnered a lot of attention ahead of the event on August 20-24, 2025. This surge in interest is triggered by the popularity of Pacu Jalur after the 'aura farming' phenomenon went viral.
Aura farming, or the bustling activity of cultivating 'aura', has been widely circulating on social media, showcasing a young dancer in the traditional boat racing competition, Pacu Jalur. The child's performance has gained worldwide attention under various titles, including 'Boat Kid Aura Farming' and 'Aura Farming Kid on the Boat'.
This dance routine has sparked curiosity among netizens from various countries. Many TikTok users from around the world have created meme videos imitating the movements of the child rower on the distinctive long boats of Kuantan Singgi, accompanied by the song 'Young Black and Rich' by Melly Mike.
Pacu Jalur went viral
The Pacu Jalur festival went viral after the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) football club posted a video of their players imitating the distinctive style of Rayyab Arkan Dikha or Dika, the child who dances on a boat during the Pacu Jalur event. The video was uploaded on PSG's account on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. "The aura has reached Paris," the caption read.
Not only PSG, but the Italian club AC Milan also joined in on this trend. With a humorous twist, they wrote, "Aura Farming 1899% accuracy," while imitating the same dance moves.
Rapper KSI also showcased the distinctive Indonesian child's style, adding to the list of international figures touched by Dika's dance 'aura'. Other personalities include Travis Kelce, NFL star and Taylor Swift's boyfriend, who incorporates Dika's dance every time he scores a touchdown. He posted a video of Dika's compilation alongside his actions. "The aura has been cultivated," he wrote.
This phenomenon spread widely on TikTok, with thousands of users from various backgrounds across the globe. Influencers, students, and even corporate accounts joined in on the trend. Dika's popularity transcended borders to the extent that he was interviewed by Cullen Honohan, an influencer from the United States, through the social media platform All Hail Cullen.
Cullen dubbed Dika as 'The Reaper' for seemingly being able to captivate his opponents through his spirited dance. With innocence, Dika expressed happiness about the nickname. Cullen inquired about the feeling of dancing at the front of a swiftly moving boat. Confidently, Dika briefly replied, "Stay brave and confident," he said.
Yunia Pratiwi, Mila Novita, Raden Putri Alpadillah Ginanjar also contributed to the writing of this article.
Editor's Choice: The History of Indonesia's Pacu Jalur Festival in Kuansing, Riau
