Bali Festivals and Ceremonies: Galungan, Nyepi and What to Wear
Published · Updated · 6 min read
Bali follows two calendars, and that is why festival dates look random on a Western calendar. Galungan and Kuningan come round every 210 days, so they fall twice in some years. Nyepi, the Day of Silence, follows the lunar-based Saka calendar and lands in March. Visitors are welcome at most ceremonies if they dress properly, but Nyepi is the one day when everyone, tourists included, stays indoors.
How do the Balinese calendars work?
Two systems run side by side. The Pawukon calendar is a 210-day cycle made of 30 weeks (wuku) of seven days each. Galungan, Kuningan and Saraswati Day, the day for the goddess of knowledge, all come from it. Saraswati is the last day of the cycle.
The Saka calendar is lunisolar, with 12 months, each starting the day after a new moon. Its year count runs 78 years behind the Gregorian one. Nyepi falls on the first day of the month called Kadasa and starts the new year, usually the day after the first new moon in March.
The practical point is that you cannot work these dates out from a normal calendar. Look them up for your travel dates, and ask your hotel what is on during your stay.
When are Galungan and Kuningan?
Galungan falls on a Wednesday in the 11th week of the Pawukon cycle, and Kuningan comes ten days later. The most recent pair was 17 and 27 June 2026. Two published lists agree on the upcoming dates:
| Galungan | Kuningan |
|---|---|
| 13 January 2027 | 23 January 2027 |
| 11 August 2027 | 21 August 2027 |
| 8 March 2028 | 18 March 2028 |
| 4 October 2028 | 14 October 2028 |
Galungan marks the victory of dharma over adharma, and it is when ancestral spirits are believed to visit their family homes. Kuningan is when they return. The sign you will notice first is the penjor, tall curved bamboo poles hung with offerings, standing outside homes and shops. Families make elaborate offerings, and the day before Galungan, called Penampahan, pigs or chickens are traditionally slaughtered for the feast. Kuningan has its own yellow rice offerings.
Bali does not shut down for Galungan. Beach clubs, hotels and restaurants mostly stay open and the airport runs as normal. Expect heavier traffic near large temples, and some government offices, markets and small shops to close. Walk through a village such as Ubud or Sidemen to see the penjor properly.
When is Nyepi?
Nyepi 2027 falls on Monday, 8 March 2027, according to the Indonesian government's joint decree on national holidays for that year. One Wikipedia table lists 9 March, so go with the official date. Nyepi 2028 is listed as 26 March by two sources. The silence runs from 6 am to 6 am, and the ogoh-ogoh parades are the evening before.
What can tourists do on Nyepi?
Very little, by design. For 24 hours the whole island is expected to observe four restrictions:
- No fire or light, which includes electricity, cooking and entertainment.
- No work or physical activity, apart from spiritual practice.
- No travel and no leaving your home.
- No entertainment or self-indulgence.
For visitors, that works out like this:
- The airport is closed for the full 24 hours. No flights land or take off. Arrive the day before or leave the day after.
- Stay inside your accommodation. Hotels stay open, but guests cannot leave the property. The same applies in a private villa.
- Keep lights low and noise down. Pecalang, the local security officers, patrol the streets and ask anyone outside to go back in. There are no formal legal penalties for tourists.
- Stock up first. Shops close early the day before, ATMs may stop working, and mobile and internet service can be restricted.
- Medical emergencies are handled, and hospitals stay open.
Book flights and transfers around it. If you need a driver the day before or the morning after, tell us early.
What are Melasti and ogoh-ogoh?
Melasti is a purification ceremony held at the sea three to four days before Nyepi. People in white walk to sea temples carrying sacred temple objects, and holy water is collected to cleanse them.
Ogoh-ogoh are the giant demon statues paraded on the eve of Nyepi, at sunset. Made of bamboo and paper, some are as tall as 8 metres, and they are carried through the streets with gamelan, drums and a great deal of noise. They represent negative forces. After the parade many are burned, which is part of the ritual cleansing, though some are kept by their village. Visitors are welcome to watch, and the parades are worth planning your evening around.
The ogoh-ogoh tradition in its present form is fairly recent. The word is first recorded in a Bali newspaper in 1984, and the practice grew in the 1980s. Parades are strongest in Kuta, Seminyak, Nusa Dua, Sanur and Ubud. On the morning after Nyepi, Ngembak Geni begins at 6 am. Shops reopen and families visit each other to ask forgiveness.
How should you behave at a temple ceremony?
Dress modestly, and treat it as someone's place of worship, because it is. Rules that apply nearly everywhere:
- Sarong and sash. Both men and women wear them, covering legs and waist. Many temples lend them at the entrance, but bring your own.
- Cover your shoulders. No shorts, tank tops or short skirts.
- Do not step over or touch offerings. The small palm-leaf canang sari on the ground are daily offerings. Walk around them.
- Feet. They are the lowest part of the body in Balinese thinking, so keep them off tables and chairs, and do not point them at shrines.
- Menstruation. Women who are menstruating are traditionally advised not to enter temples. Treat it as a custom to follow.
- Photographs. Be discreet, ask if you can, and stay out of the way. Do not interrupt anyone who is praying.
Large temples are especially busy at festival time. Besakih, Uluwatu and Tirta Empul are particularly active during Galungan, according to one guide. Our pages on Besakih Temple and Pura Tirta Empul cover the layout. Our page on ceremonies in Bali explains what you are looking at.
Where can you watch Kecak and Barong dances?
Kecak is easiest at Uluwatu and Tanah Lot, where it runs most evenings around sunset. Wikipedia says performances usually start at 6 pm at both, so check the time on the day. Kecak was popularized in the 1930s and grew out of a trance ritual called sanghyang. A circle of around 50 to 100 men chants "chak" in rhythm and acts out a battle from the Ramayana, with no instruments, and the show lasts about an hour.
Other stages are in Ubud, at the Garuda Wisnu Kencana park, in Batubulan and at Pandawa Beach. Uluwatu is the most popular, and the performance happens at an arena near the temple, with tickets sold separately from temple entry. Read our pages on Kecak at Uluwatu Temple and the wider Kecak dance. Our Uluwatu Sunset Tour, from $35 per person, covers the temple and the sunset, and you can ask us about timing it for the show. The Tanah Lot Sunset Tour is from $35 per car.
Barong is a different show. The Barong is a lion-like protector spirit and the king of good spirits, and in the story he fights Rangda, the demon queen. The battle stands for the endless contest between good and evil. See our page on the Barong dance in Ubud. For more on Balinese arts, our piece on art and craftsmanship is a good companion, and our guide to the top attractions helps you fit a ceremony into a wider plan.
If your trip overlaps with Galungan, Nyepi or a big temple anniversary, tell us your dates through our contact page and we will plan around what is open, what is crowded and what is closed.