Best Festivals in Bali and When They are Celebrated

There are endless reasons to visit Bali. The beaches and the verdant landscape are only a few famous excuses to book a flight to this tourist haven. Bali has a lot of festivals that are held throughout the year, especially, during the peak tourist season of July to October. Food, dance, and music flow abundantly during the best festivals in Bali.

Before you visit Bali, you should check the location and months in which these festivals are held.

With so many festivals happening throughout the year, chances are that you will be able to attend at least one or some of them.

Here is a list of the 10 best festivals in Bali:

1. Bali Arts Festival: The Bali Arts Festival is by far the most loved and visited festival in Bali. This month-long jamboree is easily the best festival in Bali. The Bali Arts Festival has been held between June and July every year since 1979 when it was introduced as a celebration of Balinese culture. You’ll find a lot of traditional Balinese artists performing at the festival along with art exhibitions, food stalls, competitions, etc held in and around the Bali Arts Centre. Also called Pesta Kesenian Bali, the Bali Arts festival attracts thousands of people from both within and outside of Indonesia.

Location: Bali Arts Centre, Denpasar

Time: Mid-June to Mid-July.

2. Bali Kite festival: If you are planning a trip to Bali, make sure that you add attending the Bali Kite festival to your itinerary. Prepare to have your mind blown by the burst of gorgeous and enormous kites in the Balinese sky. One of the top festivals in Bali, the festival is held in Sanur Beach where various teams come to compete with their magnificent kite collection. Most of the kites represent a Balinese Hindu deity as the festival was traditionally held to thank the agrarian gods. Some of the most common kites in the festival are fish, bird or leaf-shaped and need around 10 people to fly them.

Location: Padang Galak, Sanur Beach

Time: July or August.

3. Nyepi: Nyepi is one of the most traditional festivals held in Bali. It is a celebration of the Balinese new year, one of the best festivals in Bali. While the day of Nyepi is by itself observed as the Day of Silence, the days preceding it see a lot of parades in the streets of Bali. Local people join the famous Ogoh Ogoh parade wherein they carry massive statues representing bad spirits. Once the parade is over, residents celebrate with good food. The day of the new year is, however, a stark contrast to the preceding days as on this day Balinese people stay in their houses and observe silence. If you are in Bali on that day, do not make any outside plans on Nyepi as most of Bali will be closed including transportation.

Location: Bali

Time: March

4. Galungan: Another traditional festival of Bali, Galungan is a festival that celebrates the triumph of good over evil making it one of the best festivals in Bali. Balinese people welcome the spirits of their ancestors who are believed to visit their homes around this time. The streets of Bali are adorned with bamboo poles that have offerings of different kinds suspended at the end of the poles. The Galungan festival last for 10 days ending with Kuningan, the last day when the spirits of the ancestors go back. You can enjoy a lot of traditional Balinese food around this time including rice cakes, cooked bananas, etc.

Location: Bali

Time: The date is determined every year.

5. Bali Spirit Festival: In the world of travel, Bali is almost synonymous with relaxation and leisure. The Bali Spirit festival is a celebration of this idea of Bali and is one of the best festivals in Bali. At the core of the festival is spirituality and healing which is Tri Hita Karana. The Bali Spirit festival attracts yoga enthusiasts and musicians from across the world.

Location: Ubud

Time: May

6. Chinese New Year: While the Balinese have their own new year, Nyepi, they also celebrate the Chinese New Year due to Indonesia’s long cultural connection with China. Held in January, the Chinese New Year is celebrated with a lot of fun fare in Bali. You can watch the great lion and dragon dances and many other parades and performances in the Balinese streets during the Chinese New Year, which is considered one of the top festivals in Bali. You can also visit the many Buddhist and Chinese temples in Bali during this time.

Location: Bali

Time: January

7. Ubud Food Festival: The Ubud food festival is the most famous food festival in Bali and is renowned throughout the globe. Held around June every year, the food celebration is primarily a celebration of traditional Balinese food and international cuisines that have entered the traditional Bali food scene. Lots of well-known chefs from across the world visit the Ubud food festival, which is generally held for around four days every year. And not just food, you can enjoy music and many other activities at the Ubud food festival – famous for being one of the top festivals in Bali.

Location: Ubud

Time: June or July

8. Nusa Dua Fiesta: The Nusa Dua Fiesta is a fun festival in Bali that is held in Nusa Dua every year. It is a primarily tourist-oriented festival and offers lots of opportunities to enjoy the beaches and food of Bali. You can shop to your heart’s desire at the Nusa Dua Festival. As with other Balinese festivals, Nusa Dua Fiesta also has parades out in the streets with balloons and floats covering the beautiful October sky.

Location: Nusa Dua

Time: October

9. Sanur Village Festival: Held in Sanur, the Sanur Village festival is a celebration of the arts and culture of the Sanur area of Bali. You can enjoy the works of many artists, food, and even water sports during this festival. Don’t worry if you miss the Bali Kite festival; the Sanur Village festival also has a kite festival making it one of the best festivals in Bali.

Location: Sanur

Time: August

10. Odalan: Another traditional Hindu festival of Bali, Odalan is celebrated across Bali’s many village Hindu temples and is considered one of the best festivals in Bali. During Odalan, Balinese people provide the temples with many offerings and enjoy many activities like music and dancing within the vicinity of the temple where the Odalan is being separated. Since Bali has lots of temples, chances are that you will be able to witness an Odalan in any of the temples at any given time of the year.

Location: Bali

Time: Throughout the year