Trend watch: move over, 'bed rotting', 'aura farming' is the internet's new pastime

Aura Farming is the latest buzzword on the internet, thanks to the 11-year-old Indonesian boy who inadvertently personified the 2024 phrase while dancing on a racing canoe during Pacu Jalur, an annual rowing festival in Indonesia’s Riau, going back to the 17th century. 

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have probably seen a video or a meme of the boy, Rayyan Arkan Dikha, doing a little dance atop the boat clad in an interesting black outfit traditionally known as Teluk Belanga, complete with a headcloth and black sunglasses, sans any expression or heed to the speed of the racing canoe. 

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While Togak Luans, or child dancers boosting morale at the front of a Pacu Jalur canoe, have been around as long as the festival, Dikha’s understated yet cool and composed dance moves became a viral sensation, amassing millions of views and recognition for Pacu Jalur around the world.

As for the little boy, he has now been made the Tourism Ambassador of Riau Province in Indonesia, in addition to being granted a scholarship of Rs 20 million by the Governor of the province, Abdul Wahid. However, the “aura” that he “farmed” has grown all over the internet. 

While aura farming has no official definition owing to its nascent origin on the internet, ‘aura’ refers to a person's unique vibe or swag, while the term ‘farming’ has been borrowed from the gaming community as the repetitive act of gathering points, experiences, or resources.

Hence, aura farming can be characterised as an act of curating style and confidence in a public space, harvesting attention or admiration from onlookers.

Since the boat dance video was posted online in January 2025, many international celebrities and even India’s own buttery-smooth ad legend, the Amul girl, have recreated the iconic moves. 

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For Onam, 2025, the Amul girl was seen in yet another topical ad, doing the viral aura farming dance also on a speeding canoe, but one that is being rowed by famous Amul products like Amul milk powder, ghee, milk, and condensed milk. 

American footballer and Taylor Swift’s fiancé, Travis Kelce, recreated the aura farming dance on the National Football League (NFL) field in July, further catapulting the trend into the spotlight. 

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Even the Singapore Navy hopped onto the aura farming bandwagon with their rendition of the famous boat dance on their ship, the MSRV Protector. 

Recently, the Cambridge English Dictionary added internet slang terms such as skibidi, delulu, tradwife, and broligarchy to its hallowed pages. It remains to be seen whether aura farming gets the same honour or gets lost in a long list of social media trends like dabbing or the harlem shake.