Bali Arts Festival Kicks Off Its Month Of Celebrations This Weekend

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Bali Arts Festival kicks off this weekend, and it is one of the biggest cultural highlights of the year.

The month-long festival offers tourists the chance to immerse in the incredible cultural heritage of the Island of the Gods.

Running from the 18th of June until the 16th of July, there is so much to explore this year.

The Bali Arts Festival is a month-long celebration of everything that makes Bali special. From art to music, dance to literature, community, and food, the festival is entering its 45th year and is going stronger than ever. 

The festival is referred to locally as Pesta Kesenian Bali and was founded by the former Governor of Bali, Professor Ida Bagus Mantra.

The concept behind the festival was simple, Prof. Mantra wanted to create an event that would preserve and celebrate Bali’s cultural arts by providing a platform for live performances, street parades, ceremonies, exhibitions, and so much more.

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The festival has long been a space for Balinese communities to come together to feel proud of their truly unique heritage and for international visitors to gain a greater undertaking of the deeply reverent culture of the island. 

While there are events happening throughout Denpasar in connection with the Bali Arts Festival, the main program can be experienced at the Taman Werdhi Budaya Art Centre in the island’s capital city.

Throughout the end of June and into July, the Taman Werdhi Budaya Art Centre will be alive with the sights and sounds of Balinese culture, even more so than usual. 

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Every year the festival is curated around a different theme. This year the Bali Arts Festival will orient around the concept of  “Segara Kerthi: Prabhaneka Sandhi,” which translates from Balinese to mean “The Oceans as the Source of Civilization.”

The festival will celebrate the seas and the wisdom they hold, as well as explore the relationship between islands and water. 

It is not only Balinese culture that will be showcased during the festival. The event is an inclusive affair and highlights the interconnected nature of the Indonesian archipelago.

There will be representatives from far across Indonesia, including Yogyakarta, East Kalimantan, East Nusa Tenggara, and many more. 

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The Bali Arts Festival is an incredible opportunity for tourists to completely immerse in the colorful costumes, magical music, unabashed artistry, and spiritual beliefs of Indonesia.

Over the course of the month, festival attendees can explore the crafts fair and take home some cultural souvenirs you won’t find at tourist markets. There will be inspiring food demonstrations, traditional painting competitions, and more. 

The festival is considered to be one of the best cultural and arts festivals in the world. The Bali Arts Festival attracts a huge international audience who fly in especially to revel in the wonders of the Island of the Gods.

Get ready to be captivated, enchanted, and transported into the wealth of cultural wonders that transform the Werdhi Budaya Art Centre into the epicenter of the very essence of Bali. 

Leaders in Bali are working hard to promote cultural tourism on the island.

While there is much to be said about the international comforts offered by many of the island’s hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues, local leaders want to ensure that visitors really get to learn about Balinese culture during their stay. 

Speaking at a press conference this week, the Head of the Bali Provincial Tourism Office, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, shared his plans for the future of tourism on the island. 

Pemayun said, “Our tourism tagline is now: quality and dignified culture-based tourism.”

The desire to promote quality and dignified tourism on the island comes as officials are cracking down on baldy behaved foreigners who have not been respecting the way of life on the island. 

For those unable to make it to Denpasar and the Taman Werdhi Budaya Art Centre, there are still plenty of opportunities to connect with Balinese culture.

Whether it be the Kecak fire dance in Uluwatu, the traditional nightly cultural dances in Ubud, or The Devdan Show in Nusa Dua, there is plenty of cultures to keep tourists busy!