Although Bali is in the midst of the low season, the quiet is on pause this week as the Lunar New Year is celebrated across the island. Chinese New Year is a big event in Bali, and the island welcomes tens of thousands of additional tourists who travel to the island to enjoy the festivities.
Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport will feel a little extra busy this week. With Chinese New Year falling on Tuesday, 17th February, the airport will be receiving an additional influx of tourists through the weekend and into early next week.
While Australian tourists remain the most frequent international arrivals to Bali, the island is increasingly popular with tourists from China, who are the second most frequent international arrivals to the province.
Bali Airport is expected to serve 438,000 passengers between 13th and 19th February 2026. PT Angkasa Pura Indonesia (InJourney Airports), which is the company that manages the airport, has revealed that 2,804 aircraft movements are forecast this week.
Based on projected data, the total 438,000 passengers will be comprised of 268,000 international passengers and around 170,000 domestic passengers; of the 2,804 aircraft movements, 1,521 were international, and 1,283 were domestic.
Speaking to reporters, Purna Irawan, Acting General Manager of I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airports, explained, “We are taking anticipatory measures, primarily to avoid overcrowding in the arrivals terminal area and along airport access roads, which could potentially reduce the level of service.”
Tourists set to travel in and out of Bali Airport this week should know that the peak return flow of passenger traffic is predicted to occur on Thursday, 19th February, with a projected passenger flow of approximately 64,000 people. Tourists traveling to and from Bali Airport, as well as to the island’s top attractions are advised to leave plenty of time to travel by road, and to anticipate traffic congestion.
This year, the Chinese New Year holiday coincides with the start of Ramadan. This is expected to encourage a large number of domestic passengers to take advantage of the holiday to travel to Bali before the start of Ramadan.
While Bali is a majority Balinese Hindu province, Indonesia is a majority muslim nation, and the beginning of Ramadan marks the start of the holiest time of year for many millions of people in the country.
Ramadan is the Islamic month-long tradition of fasting, and while day-to-day activities, including the opening hours of restaurants, tend to adjust to reflect Ramadan in many parts of Indonesia, day-to-day activities in Bali for tourists remain unaffected.
In 2026, Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, also coincides with Bali’s Nyepi Day, also known as Balinese New Year and the Holy Day of Silence. Both Nyepi and Eid al-Fitr are set to be observed on Thursday, 19th March 2026.
For tourists in Bali this week, there are plenty of ways to get involved with the Chinese New Year celebrations, especially in Denpasar. Bali and China have a long history of trading, and much of the heritage of this enduring relationship can be found in central Denpasar in Gajah Mada.
On 21st and 22nd February, Denpasar’s Jalan Kartini and Jalan Gajah Mada will be transformed into the 2026 Chinese New Year Harmony Festival. The caretaker of Denpasar’s Sing Bie Bio Chinese Buddhist Temple, I Wayan Gunawan, also known as Jro Gede Kuning, spoke to reporters this week and gave a little insight about what worshippers and observers can expect from the upcoming festivities.
He shared, “This festival is a space for preserving culture, rituals, and traditional practices that have long been alive from the encounters of the Chinese and Balinese communities. We want to revive the historical memory of this region.”
Jro Kuning added,” After the parade, the activities continued in the Tukad Badung area with a group prayer led by me, followed by Barongsai, Barong Naga, Wushu performances, and performances from Sanggar Naluri Manca.” Festivities will get started at 4 pm on 21st February; the event is free and open to the public.
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