Makna Sosial We The Fest sebagai Festival Musik Internasional dalam Perspektif Semiotika Sosial Theo van Leeuwen

Music festivals serve not only as entertainment but also as social and cultural spaces where different actors construct meaning. This study analyzes the social meaning of We The Fest as an international music festival through the concepts of discourse, genre, style, and modality in Theo van Leeuwen’s Social Semiotics. Using a qualitative approach within an interpretive paradigm, the study drew on in-depth interviews with four main informants: an international audience member, an Indonesian audience member, a sponsor, and an organizer. Interviews with HONNE, Alt-J, and Pamungkas were used for source triangulation. Data were analyzed through data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing and verification. In the discourse dimension, the international audience member interpreted the festival as a space for cultural exchange, the sponsor as a medium for brand communication, the organizer as a representation of Indonesia’s creative industry, and the Indonesian audience member as a festival with a strong line-up and a modern concept. In the genre dimension, meaning was shaped through digital promotion and direct interactions involving music, art, food, and community activities. The style dimension revealed a combination of modern creativity and local Indonesian identity, while modality reflected the actors’ confidence in the festival based on their experiences and assessments. We The Fest was thus interpreted not only as a music event but also as a space for social interaction, cultural exchange, and the representation of Indonesian creativity in the global music context.