14 Bali Festivals & Events to Plan Your Trip Around (2026–2027)

On the day after Nyepi, the unmarried young men and women of Banjar Kaja in Sesetan, Denpasar, face each other in two groups on the main street. As they pull together and embrace, often with a kiss, villagers drench them with water to separate them.

Thought to date from the 17th century, it opens with prayers and a Barong dance and ends with a shared meal. It was briefly stopped in 1984, then revived after two pigs fought in the street, which was read as a bad omen.

On the eve of the Balinese new year, every village parades its ogoh-ogoh, giant effigies of demons built by the youth groups, through the streets to gamelan, spinning them at crossroads to confuse evil spirits. The biggest parade is around the Catur Muka statue in Denpasar.

The next day, Nyepi, the whole island falls silent for 24 hours from 6 AM: no traffic, no lights, the airport closes and everyone, visitors included, stays indoors. In 2027 Idul Fitri follows two days later, so 6–15 March is a long national holiday.

Every 210 days, Balinese celebrate the victory of dharma over adharma. On the day before Galungan, families cook a feast and raise tall, decorated bamboo penjor in front of every house, so the island's roads become arches of woven palm leaves.

The ancestors are believed to visit their families at Galungan and return to heaven at Kuningan, ten days later, when prayers end at midday. Just driving through the villages is the spectacle.

On Tumpek Kandang, Balinese bless their animals. Cows, pigs, chickens and pets are dressed in cloth and given offerings and prayers to Sang Rare Angon, the deity of animals, so that they stay healthy.

It falls every 210 days, on the Saturday Kliwon of the week Uye. It's a family ritual rather than a public event, but you'll see it in village compounds and farms.

Ubud's festival of yoga, dance and music, now in its 17th edition, mixes daytime classes in yoga, meditation, breathwork and healing with world-music concerts in the evening, plus the Dharma Fair market. It's guided by Tri Hita Karana, the Balinese philosophy of harmony.

The 2026 edition ran 15–19 April at Puri Padi Hotel and The Yoga Barn, with passes from IDR 500,000. The organisers have announced 22–25 April 2027.

Indonesia's leading food festival brings chefs, home cooks and food lovers to Ubud for cooking demos, masterclasses, talks, food tours and dozens of stalls celebrating Indonesian food heritage.

The 10th edition ran 28–31 May 2026 at Taman Kuliner, with tickets from IDR 550,000 and a free programme alongside. Dates for 2027 haven't been announced.

In the ancient Bali Aga village of Tenganan Pegringsingan, men duel with clubs of thorny pandan leaves and rattan shields as an offering to Indra, the god of war. Blood drawn is an offering; wounds are treated with a turmeric and arak ointment, and there are no winners or losers.

It's held during the village's Usaba Sambah ceremony, now part of the Tenganan Pegringsingan Culture Festival (9–11 June 2026, free). Tenganan is also one of the few places in the world that weaves geringsing double ikat.

Bali's biggest arts festival fills the Art Centre in Denpasar for a month with dance, gamelan, drama, exhibitions and competitions from all nine regencies. It began in 1979.

Don't miss the opening parade around the Bajra Sandhi monument in Renon. The 48th edition ran 13 June – 11 July 2026, with free admission.

In Jembrana, West Bali, pairs of decorated buffalo pull small chariots with jockeys at full speed. Teams from the west (green flag) and east (red) of the Ijo Gading river compete, and it isn't only about speed: the chasing pair must close the gap on the leaders.

The 2026 Kapolda Cup drew 254 pairs. The next race is Makepung Lampit, the older form run through flooded rice fields, on 15 November 2026.

In the windy dry season, the beaches of Sanur fill with giant traditional kites, some 10 m long with tails of more than 100 m, flown by village teams as offerings for a good harvest. The classic shapes are the fish (bebean), bird (janggan) and leaf (pecukan).

The Bali Kite Festival at Padang Galak began in 1978. In 2026, the Rare Angon International Kite Festival (23–26 July) and the Mel Tanjung Kite Festival (from 9 August) were held at Mertasari Beach.

Southeast Asia's best-known literary festival was founded after the 2002 Bali bombings to help bring visitors back. Each October, writers, thinkers and artists from around the world take part in panels, workshops, book launches and performances across Ubud.

The 2026 festival ran 21–25 October, with a large free programme alongside the ticketed main sessions.

In the north-west, Pemuteran celebrates its coral-restoration success, the Biorock reef project, with an eco-festival of music, local food, yoga, talks, reef workshops and a fun run.

It's free and a good reason to visit North-West Bali, 15 minutes from West Bali National Park and Menjangan Island.

North Bali's beach festival fills Lovina's waterfront around the Dolphin Statue for five days of Balinese dance, gamelan, Barong, kecak, bands and sunset DJ sets, with more than 80 local food and craft stalls.

The 2026 edition ran 24–28 July and was free; it has been held since 2012.

Bali's capital ends the year with a free street festival around the Catur Muka statue and Puputan Square: stages of traditional and modern performances, food and craft stalls.

The 2025 edition, the 18th, ran 20–23 December as the city's first zero-waste festival. The 2026 edition is listed for December.