Badung's Arts and Culture Festival Returns After Two-Year Hiatus, Set for Nov 5-16

The Badung Regency Culture Office in Bali has announced that the Badung Arts and Culture Festival will return in 2026 after being on hiatus for two years, scheduled to run from November 5 to 16. I Made Adi Adnyana, head of the Arts Division at the Culture Office, said local artists had long expressed a desire for the event's revival.

The festival will take place across Badung Regency, which includes popular tourist areas such as Kuta and Nusa Dua in southern Bali. Technical meetings with related agencies have already been held to coordinate preparations. The event is designed as a platform for creativity and the preservation of local arts, with representatives from each district (duta kecamatan) as well as members of the general public taking part.

Planned activities include the Telek Bebadungan dance competition, gong kebyar (gamelan) parades for children, adults, and women, and the bapang barong performance. One of the most anticipated events is the Baleganjur traditional gamelan competition, divided into three age categories: children, youth, and adults. Registration quotas of 10 children's groups, 10 youth groups, and 30 general groups are reportedly already mostly filled.

The festival will also be integrated with the Badung government's 'Banjar Menari' (Dancing Banjar) program, aimed at enriching the event lineup and expanding community participation in cultural preservation.