Thousands of tourists crowd opening of Pesta Kesenian Bali 2026
The Denpasar parade featured 3,430 performers, including people with disabilities, as the festival runs through July 11.
Thousands of domestic and foreign tourists crowded the opening parade of the 48th Pesta Kesenian Bali in Denpasar on Saturday, making the cultural event a major draw for holidays on the Island of the Gods. The Peed Aya parade was held in front of Monumen Perjuangan Rakyat Bali Renon and Monumen Bajra Sandi, and was opened by Bali Governor Wayan Koster. Bali Culture Office head Ida Bagus Alit Suryana said the parade featured 10 teams representing regencies and cities across Bali and ISI Bali, with 3,430 artists performing under the theme Atma Kerthi: Jiwa Siddha Parisudha. ANTARA also reported that this year's parade included artists with disabilities, from children to adults. Overall, PKB 2026 will feature more than 20 thousand artists from various regions through July 11 in Bali.