Dan Bolton, the creative producer of the PON XX Papua Opening and Closing Ceremonies, led a team of over 85 local and international personnel to produce two hours of spectacular entertainment that showcased the traditional Papuan culture alongside a full production spectacle.

Held in Jayapura in October 2021, the ceremonies welcomed over 6,000 athletes from 34 Indonesian provinces and were broadcast worldwide.

Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, both shows were produced and delivered in under eight weeks, marking some of the first stadium shows to welcome back cast and spectators since the global shutdowns of 2020.

Dan navigated the unique challenges of delivering two ceremonies simultaneously in the jungles of Papua while showcasing the rich cultural identity of the region to a regional South East Asian audience of over a billion people. The ceremonies showcased the authentic cultures of the five territories of the island through music, dance, costume, and ritual in warrior-like fashion, spread over 12 different creative segments and featuring a combined cast of over 2,000 performers.

Dan also led the protocol team in the successful delivery of all protocol elements of the show, including torch relay, cauldron ignition, speeches, flag raising, and VIP arrivals.