48th Bali Arts Festival

First held in 1979, the Bali Arts Festival, locally known as Pesta Kesenian Bali, returns for its 48^th edition. Founded by the late Professor Ida Bagus Mantra, the annual event is Indonesia’s longest-running arts festival. It is the cultural highlight of the year, where for a whole month, all aspects of art are on display.

Held from 13 June – 11 July 2026, this year’s Bali Arts Festival (PKB) will be themed “Atma Kerthi: Jiwa Sidha Parisudha (Honouring the Perfect Soul)”. Atma Kerthi, in short, is defined as the pursuit of soul purification and the glorification of human identity. Through this theme, art is viewed not merely as visual entertainment but as a medium for achieving spiritual balance and complete soul purification.

There will be many exciting events to watch, including arts and cultural performances from all cities and regencies in Bali; parades featuring various Balinese arts and cultural themes; an awards ceremony for arts devotees; world cultural celebrations; exhibitions exploring arts and culture; Bali Arts Festival Parade; regional cultural week; and workshops with cultural themes.

The month-long festival brings together many performers and artists. Everything from traditional dances, costume parades, art displays and exhibitions, and musical performances is expected here as different banjars (village communities), sanggars (art groups), and districts compete against one another. Most events and performances are held at the Taman Werdhi Budaya Art Centre in Denpasar, but the programme also extends to other venues in Bali’s capital.

The Bali Arts Festival kicks off with an extraordinary parade on the streets of Denpasar, in front of the Bajra Sandhi Monument. This stunning opening event marks the beginning of a month-long celebration of Balinese culture, including art, music and literature, across the island.

For more information, please visit pestakesenianbali.id or follow @pestakesenianbali.official for more updates.