The surprising origin of the viral celebration that has covered sports around the world

From high-speed racetracks to football pitches...

In just the past few weeks, "aura farming" - a strange but energetic celebration, has appeared in a series of large and small sports tournaments around the world: from football fields, Formula 1 (F1) racetracks, Moto GP...

The most recent highlight was the celebration of Marc Marquez, the famous racer in MotoGP, after winning the race on July 14. Marc Marquez finished first with a time of 40 minutes 42.854 seconds, 6.380 seconds faster than the second place (Alex Marquez, Marc Marquez's younger brother). A few hundred meters before the finish line, the former world champion stood on his bike and simulated the "aura farming" dance. This moment immediately spread across the internet, with millions of views.

The "aura farming" dance originated from a boy in Indonesia.

Not only in the speed race, "aura farming" also appeared on the football field. Most recently, striker Jens Raven of U.23 Indonesia brought this dance to the field when celebrating the 8-0 victory over U.23 Brunei at the 2025 U.23 Southeast Asian Championship. In this match, the naturalized Dutch striker shone when contributing 6 goals.

Originating from Riau, Indonesia: The Impromptu Dance That Takes the Internet by Storm

Few people expect that this global trend originated from a traditional boat racing festival called Pacu Jalur in Riau province, Indonesia.

The creator of “aura farming” is not a celebrity, but Rayyan Arkan Dikha, an 11-year-old boy tasked with cheering on the rowing team. Standing precariously on the bow of the boat, Dikha performed an impromptu dance with skillful hand movements, tilts, and curtsies. Dikha’s charismatic facial expressions made the video go viral on social media from TikTok, Instagram to YouTube Shorts around the world.

The world's top MotoGP rider celebrates with a "farming aura" before crossing the finish line

After just a few days, the original video had a huge number of views, followed by countless "copycats" from all over the world. Accordingly, the appeal of this dance lies not only in its simplicity and ease of imitation, but also in its free and liberal spirit. No need for sophisticated techniques, just the "quality" and confidence are enough to create moments that attract all eyes.

After that unexpected phenomenon, the Riau provincial government awarded Dikha the title of Cultural Ambassador and supported him with a scholarship, as a way to recognize his contributions to promoting local culture.