The atmosphere in Jakarta at the end of the year always has a special feel to it. Amidst the traffic congestion that begins to ease during the long holiday, shopping centers in the capital city are sprucing themselves up with their best decorations.

Many residents leave their homes just to seek the glitz and glamour behind the twinkling decorative lights that are considered a feast for the eyes. This year, several malls in Jakarta seem to be competing to bring to life images that were once only seen in fairy tales. From towering snow castle installations to giant Christmas trees.

Many children were fascinated by the artificial snowflakes that created a joyful scene decorating the mall.

Here are five recommendations for malls in Jakarta with the most stunning decorations that you must visit before the calendar changes:

Pacific Place

This mall in South Jakarta presents a Christmas concept themed "expedition" with strong green and red hues. The decorations are described as a unified "factory of wonders," a factory of Santa-hatted elves, complete with a journey that begins with a mini train, an airport, and a tunnel. This concept makes the Christmas and New Year atmosphere feel like a transition to a new beginning, sweet, fun, and full of imagination.

The main attraction is the Christmas Tunnel, a tunnel decorated with pine leaves, colorful balls, twinkling lights, and neatly arranged gifts wrapped in yellow ribbon. The visuals are very "content-able," so it's no wonder that many visitors are willing to go up and down the escalator multiple times to get the best photo angle. In the digital age, Pacific Place has successfully demonstrated that Christmas decorations are not just about visual grandeur, but also about experiences and activities that can be documented.

A long line of people waited to take photos in front of "The Grand Christmas Expedition," which was installed a few weeks ago on the ground floor of Pacific Place Mall (PP) in South Jakarta on Monday (12/22/2025).

In the middle of the atrium stands"The Factory of Wonders,"an imaginary factory of dwarves wearing Santa hats, red and white candy canes, and gifts scattered around in shades of red and green.

Across from the main installation, the crowd was just as dense. The escalator, which is usually just a means of going up and down floors, was transformed into a "Christmas Tunnel." The tunnel was covered with pine branches and decorated with yellow ribbon-wrapped gift boxes and sparkling balls. 

Almost none of the visitors were just passing through. If they weren't taking selfies, they were transfixed by the sparkling Christmas decorations. It was not uncommon for visitors to go up and down the escalator repeatedly, not because they were on the wrong floor, but because they wanted to relive the experience of walking through the "Christmas cave."

Balqist (24), one of the visitors to Pacific Place, admitted that she came after seeing the Christmas decorations go viral. "It's great, very content-able," she said.

According to Balqist, seasonal decorations are important for shopping centers to consider in order to enhance the visitor experience. "I enjoy and am intrigued by seasonal decorations like Halloween and Christmas," she said.

Senayan Plaza

Plaza Senayan remains consistent with its premium, luxurious, and timeless Christmas decoration identity. This year, the main concept presented is a Gingerbread House standing in the central atrium, not far from the iconic singing clock.

This gingerbread house is designed to resemble a cozy house with pastel brown and red tones, complete with an eye-catching red door.

Surrounding it are supporting ornaments such as a giant Christmas tree with pink lights, lollipops, and two giant snowmen, combined with soft lighting.

The uniqueness of this decoration lies in the immersive experience. Visitors can enter the Gingerbread House, making children feel like they are in a fairy tale land, while adults enjoy the warm and nostalgic Christmas atmosphere.

The area outside Plaza Senayan is equally attractive. The park in front of the mall often makes pedestrians stop for a moment to take photos. The large Christmas tree and giant Christmas Ring sparkling with gold at the entrance are favorite photo spots. Perfect for those who love elegant and classic Christmas aesthetics.

Central Park

Want to enjoy super grand and colorful Christmas decorations? Central Park presents a celebration titled "Noel Season Sweetopia." Visitors will be greeted by a giant 33-meter-tall Christmas tree that has been lit since November 21, 2025.

In Central Park, in the Tribeca Park area, the park's walkways are lined with twinkling lights that create a fantasy-like atmosphere, bright, warm, and reminiscent of a Christmas-themed "garden of paradise." The light installations that envelop the trees and walkways make the experience of walking in the park from afternoon to evening feel even more magical.

Inside the park, Central Park also features a children's play area specially designed for families. There is a giant donut-shaped stage, various large decorative dolls, and a safe and fun activity area for children. The entire concept is packaged with bright colors and playful elements, making Christmas celebrations at Central Park feel very family-friendly, perfect for quality time with family, while still being interesting to enjoy and capture.

Not only that, Central Park also presents various spectacular performances such as drone shows, fireworks, lighting, and laser shows. A number of interactive activities also enliven the atmosphere, ranging from meet & greets with Disney Zootopia characters to mini games that will run until early January 2026. The entire mall area in the Grogol area is filled with colorful and festive Christmas decorations.

Taman Anggrek Mall

Taman Anggrek Mall is celebrating Christmas 2025 with a cheerful and family-friendly concept through the "Pororo Merry Holiday" event, which runs from December 24, 2025 to January 4, 2026. The mall atrium is decorated with bright colors and features the adorable Pororo character.

There is a yellow maze that is the main attraction for activities with children, equipped with food tenants and a painting area in front of the elevator. In addition, visitors can enjoy a variety of exciting activities such as meeting Pororo characters, Christmas bazaars, music performances, and other family entertainment.

Senayan City

Senayan City looks glamorous with Christmas decorations created in collaboration with Yves Saint Laurent (YSL). A magnificent Christmas tree stands in the center of the atrium, complemented by a three-story golden palace installation with a glossy gold finish that represents the premium character of YSL.

The decorations are spread across two floors with different concepts, filled with reflective elements that make it a favorite spot for mirror selfies. For those of you who want to celebrate Christmas and New Year's Eve with an aesthetic, modern, and high-fashion vibe, Senayan City could be the right choice.

Experience Tourism

However, for the retail industry, Christmas decorations are not just about visual aesthetics. They represent a valuable economic strategy, or investment. The amount of investment varies depending on the location, concept, and scale of the space being decorated. The goals are clear: traffic, sales, and brand image. 

Alphonzus Widjaja, Chairman of the Indonesian Shopping Center Management Association (APPBI), said there are two main driving factors. First, competition between malls in Jakarta is becoming increasingly fierce. Amidst uneven purchasing power, shopping center managers must give people a compelling reason to come, stay, and shop.

"To enliven the festive atmosphere so that visitors can have a memorableexperience," said Alphonzus in a written statement (12/23/2025).

Second, Jakarta is now actively targeting regional tourists as part of its "end-of-year city attraction" strategy. Visual experiences and "Instagrammable" photo spots are a magnet for tourists, especially those from ASEAN countries who are accustomed to city festival-based vacations. 

"It will certainly attract both domestic and foreign tourists and the general public to visit, which will undoubtedly have a direct impact on visitor numbers," said Alphonzus.

Alphonzus noted that in order for traffic to convert into sales, a series of promotional events are needed. "To maximize sales, it must be accompanied by various shopping promotion programs provided by retailers," he said.

Retail strategy

Bank Permata economist Josua Pardede believes that seasonal decorations are now increasingly crucial in retail strategies and shopping center management. This will be particularly true in 2025, when competition for mall visitors will become even fiercer, while consumers will become more selective in their spending. 

"Amidst uneven purchasing power, malls need strong reasons for people to come, stay longer, and then shop. Seasonal decorations provide a simple but effective emotional trigger, atmosphere, sense of celebration, and family activities," said Josua in a written statement (12/22/2025).

According to him, there are three main values that are pursued, namely emotion, experience, and redistribution of spending. "Decoration is ultimately a tool to turn visits into experiences, then experiences into transactions," said Josua.

These effects, he continued, were most noticeable in the food and beverage, entertainment, and gift shopping sectors. These were additional purchases, not basic shopping. Interesting experiences to photograph and share also influenced mall choices, especially for groups that considered shopping as a social activity.