Add To Cal: Your Guide To The Best Bali Events In 2026

Bali is more than just a tropical paradise of golden beaches, lush rice terraces and breathtaking sunsets—it’s an island that knows how to put on a show. From vibrant cultural festivals and traditional ceremonies to world-class music events, beach club parties and exciting food experiences, there’s always something happening to bring the island to life. Whether you’re chasing unforgettable nights out, looking to immerse yourself in Balinese culture or simply hoping to discover something a little different, Bali’s events calendar offers something for every kind of traveller.

With so much happening throughout the year, knowing where to go and what not to miss can make all the difference to your island escape. So, we’ve rounded up the best events to add to your itinerary. Consider this your guide to experiencing Bali at its most vibrant, with plenty of inspiration to make your next visit even more memorable.

October

The Yoga Barn Joins Worldwide ORIGIN Movement

17 October

Image credit: The Yoga Barn | Facebook

Start your morning with a little more intention at The Yoga Barn, which is joining ORIGIN, a global regenerative movement bringing locally organised gatherings together around the world on 17 October 2026. Bali’s event will be 108 Minutes of Yoga, Meditation & Sound, hosted in the yoga institution’s amphitheatre, where it’ll move from a heart-opening asana session with Wayan Marcus to guided meditation with Jana Johnson. Shervin Boloorian will then close with sound healing and prayer. 

This event is as much about community as it is about wellness. As such, while tickets are IDR 100,000 each, all proceeds are set to go to Bali ReGreen which supports land regeneration and local communities that live in some of Bali’s driest areas. 

Mamaka Fun Run Vol. 3

18 October

Image credit: Mamaka Fun Run Vol. 3 | Website

Why not trade your Sunday sleep-in for something that actually gets the endorphins going as Mamaka Fun Run returns to Kuta Beach on 18 October 2026. Set with both 5k and 10k routes, this year’s run is all about making conversations around mental health a little easier as the event is partnering with Shuffle & Strides, a non-profit that uses running, community, and education to break down the stigmas. 

It’s a run with a bigger purpose, with all proceeds being donated to Shuffle & Stride in support of its mental health awareness training and subsidised counselling programmes. Your registration also comes with a race bib, official t-shirt, finisher medal, special merchandise, and a F&B voucher, so there’s plenty of reason to cross the finish line. Registration closes on 11 October. 

Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2026

21 - 25 October

Image credit: Ubud Writers & Readers Festival | Website

Calling all bookworms and thinkers. The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival returns from 21 to 25 October 2026, bringing international and Indonesian writers, artists, and activists to Bali for five days of conversations, workshops, and literary happenings. This year’s theme, Samarasā: Awareness. Empathy. Action., explores the relationship between thought, feeling, and action, with more than 100 sessions spanning everything from technology and spirituality to personal and environmental issues. 

Beyond author talks and panel discussions, expect literary lunches, long-table dinners, book launches, Indonesian performances, and late-night comedy. Headliners include Booker Prize winner Kiran Desai, Tash Aw, Katie Kitamura, Adania Shibli, and Fatima Bhutto, making this an event for anyone who likes their Bali escape with some intellectual stimulation. 

Shelter Sessions Vol.13: London Calling

29 October

Image credit: Shelter | Instagram

Shelter Pererenan is bringing a little bit of 1990s London kitchen energy to Bali with the latest edition of Shelter Sessions. For one night only, Tom Aikens of London’s two-Michelin-starred Muse and Andrew Walsh of one-Michelin-starred Cure joins Shelter’s Stephen Moore for a fire-fuelled long-table feast inspired by the city where all three chefs cut their teeth. 

Expect open-fire cooking with a distinctly Balinese twist, including coal-roasted heritage pig, wood-roasted scallops with stout rarebit, ash-grilled bluefin tuna tartare, and a nostalgic chocolate truffle and cherry Arctic roll. It’s the kind of dinner where you’ll want to arrive hungry and stay for the atmosphere. 

Halloween at The Blue Door

29 - 31 October

Image credit: The Blue Door Bali | Facebook

Ubud’s Halloween headquarters is back, with The Blue Door turning the spooky season into three nights of fun and general after-dark mischief. The main event on 31 October comes complete with a haunted maze packed with live actors and jump scares, a live band, secret DJs, dancers, and special Halloween cocktails—plus club lounge access included in every ticket. 

Can’t wait until then? Luckily for you, the party starts early with Ladies Night on Thursday, followed by a Halloween warm-up on Friday which is set to have a full spooky atmosphere alongside a buzzing lineup of music and entertainment. At least then, you can choose your level of fright (depending on how brave you’re feeling). 

Motel Mexicola Día de los Muertos 

31 October

Image credit: Motel Mexicola | Facebook

Forget the spooky Halloween nights—Motel Mexicola is going full Día de los Muertos as they celebrate Mexico’s Day of the Dead with a fiesta inspired by folklore, family, and those who came before us. Across its Seminyak, Canggu, and Uluwatu venues, expect figures like La Catrina, La Bruja, and El Charro de la Muerte, along with colourful altars, face painting, and plenty of suitably dramatic costumes. 

Try to arrive between 6pm and 9pm in costume for a complimentary Margarita Sangrienta, while the best dressed at each venue is set to take home IDR 10 million in cash. Of course, the kitchen is joining the festivities as well with specials including the stuffed squash blossom, pipian-rojo chicken, and traditional Pan de Muerto with hot chocolate, before the dinner gives way to a full-blown fiesta. So, if you’re looking to ditch the “tick-or-treating”, make your way to this vibrant celebration. 

Shows on Ice at Nuanu

31 October - 1 November

Image credit: Shows on Ice | Website

Yes, Bali may be the ultimate tropical getaway, but that doesn’t mean you have to sit in the heat all day. For the first time, BLOCK42 at Nuanu is hosting a season of live ice shows that combines professional figure skating, circus skills, theatre, and immersive visual technology for your pleasure. 

On 31 October 2026, Aladdin and the Famous Stories from 1001 Nights will bring Scheherazade, Aladdin, Ali Baba, and Sinbad to the ice with acrobatics, fire juggling, magic, and large-scale productions. The following day will then see Alice in Wonderland on Ice take audiences down the rabbit hole with more figure skating, circus artistry, and immersive digital effects. 

With two shows each day, it’s a suitably surreal family outing—although we won’t judge if the adults are just as excited about this extravaganza (especially since there’s a special Halloween performance in the works). 

December

El Kabron Bali Christmas Celebrations

24 - 26 December

Image credit: El Kabron Bali | Facebook

Christmas in Bali doesn’t have to involve a whole bunch of planning. Over three days, Uluwatu’s El Kabron is turning the festive season into an oceanfront party, kicking off with a Christmas Eve dinner before celebrating the main Christmas Day and a Boxing Day after-party. 

Expect a festive meal with DJs, live music, a sunset show overlooking the ocean, plus tons of dancing that’ll last right to early hours of the morning. On the food front, perhaps splurge on the Golden Menu that features caviar, lobster, and oysters. It’s the holiday season after all—so why not lean into a bit of festive indulgence?

Desa Potato Head NYE 2026

31 December

Image credit: Desa Potato Head | Website

Ring in 2027 at Desa Potato Head with a seriously stacked New Years Eve lineup, headlined by The Avalanches on DJ duties. They’ll be joined by Danilo Plessow, Dita, Dea, Kiwead, and Gero, with the music moving through six different worlds across a newly imagined stage from sunset onwards. 

The whole Desa is set to come together at midnight for the countdown before the party is taken into Klymax as it carries the dancing onto 2027. Basically, if your ideal New Year’s Eve involves excellent electronic music, a raging party, and absolutely no intention of going home early, this one should be on your radar.   

FINNS NYE Festival 2026

31 December

Image credit: FINNS Beach Club | Website

If subtlety isn’t really your New Year’s Eve style, the famous FINNS Beach Club is going big for its two-day countdown to 2027. The Canggu institution will see Major Lazer and Cyril kicking things off, with Gordo and The Temper Trap set to follow on the second day. Keep in mind that more names are still yet to be announced. 

With 170 metres of oceanfront space, 19 pools, 14 bars, multiple dance floors, and a beachfront fireworks display, FINNS is essentially going all-in on the Bali NYE experience. Think of it as the kind of midnight countdown that makes going home feel like a particularly bad (and boring) idea.

Looking for more? Check out:

• The Best Things To Do In Bali With Kids
• The Best Gyms In Bali For Holiday Shredding
• The Best Bali Retreats To Reset, Recharge And Reconnect

Main image credit: Desa Potato Head | Website