Indonesia marked the 80th anniversary of its independence on Sunday with a grand ceremony and public festival in the country’s capital, featuring parades, music, food, air displays and fireworks.

Wearing a white traditional outfit and a black traditional cap, Pesident Prabowo Subianto led the Aug. 17 Independence Day anniversary ceremony at the Merdeka Palace, attended by thousands of invited guests, including former Presidents Joko Widodo and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The ceremony’s highlight began with a heritage flag parade and a reading of Indonesia’s original 1945 independence proclamation from the National Monument to the Merdeka Palace.

It was followed by the sounding of sirens and the striking of 17 cannon blasts to start the flag-raising ceremony, held by 76 flag raisers consisting of selected high school students from 38 provinces.

For the first time, the official Proclamation Ceremony was followed by a nationwide People’s Party.

Indonesia declared its independence from Dutch colonial rule on Aug. 17, 1945, but the Netherlands refused to acknowledge it and fought unsuccessfully to maintain control of the lucrative Asian outpost.

It finally recognized the country as an independent nation in December 1949.