Stage To Be Installed At Bali’s Tanah Lot Temple For Cultural Shows For Tourists

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Bali’s Tanah Lot Temple, on the Tabanan Regency Coast, is one of the most spiritually significant and popular temples on the island.

As tourist visits continue to increase, leaders are working on new ways to entertain visitors. A new project will see a stage installed in the temple complex for cultural performances and more. 

Leaders at Tanah Lot Temple have confirmed that an open-air stage will be installed on the Tanah Lot Temple grounds.

The stage will be used for Balinese Hindu ceremonies and for showcasing local arts, dance, and culture performed by tourists.

Tanah Lot Temple welcomes an average of 5,000 tourists a day and offers guests a unique opportunity to visit an ancient, sacred temple built upon a rocky outcrop. 

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The Operations Manager of Tanah Lot Temple, Wayan Sudiana, told reporters that the installation of a stage would help create a new layer of experience for visitors and that development is being pursued to promote local art and culture.

He explained, “We want the local culture to continue to live and be recognized by the younger generation and tourists. With this stage, Balinese art and culture can be displayed and appreciated directly by visitors.”

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Sudiana and leaders at Tanah Lot Temple are keen to see the installation of a stage as an upgrade to the temple complex, helping to boost spiritual tourism and create a new destination for arts and cultural activities.

Sudiana and his teams have not yet released a date for the expected opening of the new stage and what events Tanah Lot will first host; details are expected soon. 

As the stage is installed at Tanah Lot Temple, another of Tabanan Regency’s leading tourist destinations, it is also getting a new attraction to offer tourists. The UNESCO World Heritage Jatiluwih Rice Terraces are now home to a highly laser-light show.

The performances, which last for 15 minutes and are on show between 6 pm and 8 pm each night, are free for the public for the next month. Following the success of this trial period, the laser light show will become a permanent and ticketed evening attraction at the world-famous rice terraces from the 1st of December 2024. 

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Speaking to reporters, the Tourism Manager for Jatiluwih Rice Terraces, Ketut Jhon Purna, said, “Our plan for the future is to have a nighttime show for tourists.”

He added, “The presence of this laser light animation attraction can attract tourists to visit the Jatiluwih tourist attraction. It also makes tourists who stay overnight feel at home.”

Though protected heritage landscapes and sacred sites open up new attractions for tourists and seek new ways to encourage more tourist visits, elders in Bali are warning against the foibles of capitalism.

Academic Ketut Wartayasa has warned that capitalistic growth could spark community unrest and that tourism cannot be held as a scapegoat for Balinese people who are moving away from their cultural roots.

He told reporters clearly, “Don’t let the arrogance of capitalism cause destruction in Bali.”

Like many religious and cultural leaders, he too has spoken to reporters in the wake of the conflict between a Bali beach club and its fireworks display and the local community who were performing a religious ceremony on the beach earlier this month.

Whether it’s international businesses creating events for tourist entertainment or cultural landmarks trying to garner more visits with more cultural shows, Wartayasa has warned that Bali’s core cultural values must be upheld even when money is in the mix.

Wartayasa told reporters, “Some participants in the ceremony were also horrified and afraid of the fireworks attraction.”

“How can we feel afraid and terrified at home? We feel our people, even though our country is not a religious country. Indeed, there is a large income for the region [from tourism], but we see the long-term impact on our children.”