Culture · Calendar
Calendar of Bali’s festivals and celebrations, month by month
Nyepi, Galungan, festivals and public holidays: what can be planned in advance, what depends on the Balinese calendar, and the months without a major event. Each date is given with the level of certainty it deserves.
- Updated on
- 6 min read
- By Kylian Dev
Contents
Key points
- Nyepi, the day of silence, generally falls in March: early March 2027, official date to be confirmed. The airport closes for 24 hours.
- Galungan and Kuningan: according to the Balinese calendar, about every six months, dates announced.
- Fixed dates: New Year, August 17, Christmas. Festivals on movable dates: the Denpasar arts festival in June and July, kites in July, the Ubud writers festival in October.
- February, April, May, September and November have no major cultural date: temple festivals, however, take place all year round.
In Bali, almost every day has its ceremony somewhere, but few dates can be predicted from one year to the next. This page brings together the verifiable events, month by month, specifying whether the date is fixed or movable. When a date is not yet official, we say so.
To understand what you see, four guides complement this calendar: Galungan and Kuningan, ceremonies and cremations, Balinese music and dance and crafts and markets.
Fixed dates, movable dates: reading the Bali calendar
Bali lives with three calendars. The Gregorian calendar sets the national public holidays, such as August 17. The saka lunar calendar sets Nyepi. The pawukon, a 210-day cycle, sets Galungan, Kuningan and most temple festivals. Only the dates of the first are known years in advance.
| Month | Events | Date |
|---|---|---|
| January | New Year | fixed |
| February | No major cultural date. | — |
| March | Melasti; Ogoh-ogoh parades; Nyepi, the day of silence | movable |
| April | No major cultural date. | — |
| May | No major cultural date. | — |
| June | Bali Arts Festival | movable |
| July | Bali Arts Festival (continued); Kite festival | movable |
| August | Independence Day; Kite season | fixed and movable |
| September | No major cultural date. | — |
| October | Ubud Writers & Readers Festival | movable |
| November | No major cultural date. | — |
| December | Christmas; New Year’s Eve | fixed |
A movable date is not an unknown date: it is set each year by the Balinese calendar or by the organizers, then announced. We only publish it once confirmed. To choose the season before the festival, start from the best time to visit Bali guide.
January to March: New Year, then Nyepi
The first quarter has only one major Balinese date, Nyepi, the day of silence, which generally falls in March: in 2027, early March, official date to be confirmed. It is preceded by melasti and the ogoh-ogoh parades. January has only New Year, February no major cultural date.
January
- New Year (fixed date, January 1): Public holiday in Indonesia; the first days of January extend the holiday high season in the south.
The month in detail: Bali in January.
February
No major cultural date. If you are leaving at the end of February, check the date of Nyepi, which generally falls in March.
The month in detail: Bali in February.
March
- Melasti (movable date, a few days before Nyepi): Purification processions to the sea: the sacred objects of the temples are carried down to the beaches, in Sanur as elsewhere. See ceremonies and cremations in Bali.
- Ogoh-ogoh parades (movable date, the eve of Nyepi): Villages parade large demon figures before burning them. Watch from a distance, away from the bearers.
- Nyepi, the day of silence (movable date, early March 2027, official date to be confirmed): Balinese New Year: for 24 hours, the airport does not operate and nobody moves around. Book neither an arrival nor a departure that day.
The month in detail: Bali in March.
April to June: the Denpasar arts festival
April and May have no major cultural date in Bali, apart from the movable festivals of the Balinese calendar. June sees the opening, generally in mid-June, of the Bali Arts Festival in Denpasar, a month of dance and music whose dates are announced each year.
April
No major cultural date. Nyepi generally falls in March: check its date if you arrive at the very start of April.
The month in detail: Bali in April.
May
No major cultural date.
The month in detail: Bali in May.
June
- Bali Arts Festival (movable date, generally opens in mid-June, dates announced each year): Pesta Kesenian Bali, in Denpasar, at the Taman Werdhi Budaya center: about a month of dance, gamelan and crafts before a mostly Balinese audience. See Balinese music and dance.
The month in detail: Bali in June.
July to September: kites and the national holiday
July is the month of kites, with the Padang Galak festival near Sanur, generally in July, and the end of the arts festival. On August 17, Indonesia celebrates its independence in every village. September has no major cultural date.
July
- Bali Arts Festival (continued) (movable date, often until mid-July): The festival that opened in June continues in Denpasar.
- Kite festival (movable date, generally in July, dates set each year): At Padang Galak, near Sanur, village teams fly large traditional kites. Ask locally or at the tourist office.
The month in detail: Bali in July.
August
- Independence Day (fixed date, August 17): National public holiday: flags, parades and village games all over the island; government offices closed.
- Kite season (movable date, in August, no single date): Kites keep flying around Sanur.
The month in detail: Bali in August.
September
No major cultural date.
The month in detail: Bali in September.
October to December: the Ubud festival and the year-end holidays
October generally hosts the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, whose dates are announced by its organizers. November has no major cultural date. December is dominated by Christmas, discreet in Bali, and New Year’s Eve on the 31st, very busy in the south.
October
- Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (movable date, generally in October, dates announced by the organizers): Talks, readings and concerts in Ubud, sometimes into the first days of November. The town is then livelier and more in demand.
The month in detail: Bali in October.
November
No major cultural date. The Ubud writers festival runs into the first days of the month in some years.
The month in detail: Bali in November.
December
- Christmas (fixed date, December 25): Public holiday in Indonesia; in mostly Hindu Bali, Christmas stays discreet outside the hotels.
- New Year’s Eve (fixed date, December 31): Parties and fireworks in the south; roads saturated in the evening in Seminyak, Canggu and Kuta.
The month in detail: Bali in December.
All year round: Galungan, temple festivals and cremations
The most frequent festivals do not fall in a fixed month. Galungan and Kuningan come round according to the Balinese calendar, about every six months, on announced dates. Odalan, temple anniversaries, take place everywhere and every week. Collective cremations are announced in the villages that organize them.
Galungan and Kuningan
According to the Balinese calendar, about every six months, dates announced. Penjor in the streets, families at the temple, banks and government offices slowed down.
Odalan and cremations
Temple festivals every 210 days or once a year, collective cremations announced in the village: you attend as a discreet guest.
Evening dances
Performances are held every evening in Ubud and at Uluwatu temple, all year round, except on major festival days.
Markets and workshops
The markets of Ubud, Sukawati and Denpasar open every day, livelier on the eve of Galungan.
Frequently asked questions
When is Nyepi in 2027?
Early March 2027, official date to be confirmed. Nyepi follows the Balinese lunar calendar; its date is announced by the authorities. The airport closes for 24 hours.
When does Galungan fall?
According to the Balinese calendar, about every six months, on dates announced each year. The festival changes month from one year to the next.
What is the best month to see festivals in Bali?
March for Nyepi and the ogoh-ogoh, June and July for the arts festival and the kites. But temple festivals take place all year round: every month has its ceremonies.
Are there months without festivals in Bali?
February, April, May, September and November have no major cultural date. Odalan, Galungan in some years and village ceremonies are still held then.
Where to find the exact dates of Balinese festivals?
In the printed Balinese calendar for the year, from your accommodation, and in the province’s official announcements. Festivals publish their own dates.
Sources
Figures and rules checked on October 17, 2026 against the sources below. Entry rules and fees change: always check them on the official websites before you leave.
