The 31st Annual Bali Arts Festival is being held from 13 June until 11 July this year. The President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is scheduled to open the festival in Denpasar on June 13.
The festival is a wonderful spectacle and a great introduction to Balinese artistic traditions and culture. Events take place throughout each day for an entire month and include handicraft exhibitions, cultural performances, music, classical palace dances and historical exhibitions. 180 art performances from 12 provinces in Indonesia and eight foreign countries – South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, India, China and Mexico and the United States.
It is the biggest event of its kind in the country and you really should try to attend at least one evening. Please don’t mind the long way to Denpasar and the sometimes poor organization of the event, the great performances and atmosphere will make up for that.
Related links: Complete schedule of Bali Arts Festival 2009 | JakartaPost article on upcoming Bali Arts Festival 2009 | Pictures of Bali Arts Festival 2008 on flickr | Bali News
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