Long Queues for Free Meals at TNI Fair 2026, Several Visitors Miss Out

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Long queues marked the TNI Fair 2026 event at the Monas intersection area in Central Jakarta on Saturday (19/9/2026).

Under the blazing sun, residents willingly crowded and waited patiently to receive a free meal box from the field kitchen provided by the TNI AL Marine Corps.

The field kitchen truck, adorned with a red-yellow banner reading "Field Kitchen of the TNI AL Marine Corps, Free Meals for the Community", became the center of the crowd.

People of all ages, from children to the elderly, were seen queuing around the truck. They took turns climbing a small staircase on the side of the truck to collect their meal portions.

Each meal box contained white rice, pieces of chicken, vegetables, and a bottle of drinking water.

Several Marine soldiers wearing purple berets stood guard at the location, assisting in the distribution and managing the flow of continuously arriving visitors.

Although the distribution was orderly, not all those in line were able to receive food.

The queue kept extending as more visitors arrived at the exhibition area.

Waiting Over Half an Hour, Food Runs Out

Kartika (29) said she joined the queue after noticing many people gathered around the field kitchen.

She happened to be hungry and hoped she would still get a meal.

"I saw many people queuing, so I joined since I hadn't eaten yet. I thought if I queued I would definitely get some," Kartika said when met at the site.

She admitted spending more than half an hour waiting. The line moved slowly due to the large number of visitors.

However, as she approached the front, she was informed that the food had run out.

"I didn't get any. When I was near the front, they said the food was finished," she added.

Kartika said the heat was the most challenging part of waiting in line. Yet, many still stayed hopeful of receiving the meal.

"The heat was the worst. Standing a long time under the sun, but many endured hoping to get food," Kartika explained.

Yudin (40) experienced similar disappointment. He said he had waited a long time and saw the queue keep growing.

At first, Yudin was confident he would get food since he had already queued.

"I waited quite a while; I saw the line kept extending all the way back," he said.

However, after waiting, the food was already gone.

Yudin admitted feeling a bit disappointed after standing for so long under the hot sun but understood the large crowd.

"A bit disappointed, especially after standing long under the sun. But many people came," he said.

According to Yudin, the free meal distribution was still a good activity because it received strong public enthusiasm.

"Maybe if the amount was increased, more people could get food," he added.

Residents Hope Food Amount Matches Crowd Size

Sina (37) also queued after seeing the crowd around the field kitchen.

She initially just wanted to try her luck since there was free food being distributed.

"Because there was free food distribution and I saw many people, I thought I'd try queuing, hoping to get some," Sina said.

She noted that the long queue made those at the back unsure if they would get food.

In the end, Sina did not receive food despite queuing.

She hopes future food distributions will consider the number of visitors.

"If there is another distribution, maybe the amount should be adjusted to the number of visitors so people who wait won't go home empty-handed," she said.

Queueing for Basic Necessities Until Evening

The public's enthusiasm did not stop at free meal distribution. Many remained at the Monas area until the evening to wait for basic necessities (sembako) distribution.

Those waiting stayed around the activity area seeking shade. Some sat, while others stood, awaiting information about the sembako packages.

TNI Fair 2026 took place at the Monas intersection area on September 19-20, 2026. This event is part of the 81st anniversary celebrations of the TNI, culminating on October 5, 2026.

The fair runs daily from 08:00 to 21:00 WIB and includes exhibitions of weapon systems and non-weapon systems, a Military Technology Expo, TNI recruitment information, entertainment stages, and soldier performances.

There were also TNI health services, antique vehicle community exhibitions, and social activities such as distributing 15,000 sembako packages and 30,000 free meal portions.