Last month, thousands of people flocked to Ubud for the annual Bali Spirit Festival. In its 9th year, the festival moved to a brand new location – the Bhanuswari Resort – that it hopes to call home for years to come. A celebration of yoga, dance, and music, the festival lasts for five days and features a wide variety of performances, classes, workshops, and so much more. Let’s take a look back at this year’s festival, starting with a bit of history.
The Origins of Bali Spirit Festival
One of Bali’s premiere events.
Bali had long been a top tourist destination, with millions of people visiting the Island of the Gods every year. However, the terrorist bombings of 2002 and 2005 brought about devastating impacts on the tourism industry and thus the economy of the island, which relies heavily on it. Seeking to find an environmentally and economically sustainable event to draw more tourists back to the island, three friends were able to put together the first ever incarnation of the festival in just three months back in 2008. Within a few short years, the Bali Spirit Festival grew to a world-class event, bringing in over 6,000 people by 2012.
Community Outreach
The festival’s two main outreach programs.
Much more than a festival, Bali Spirit seeks to follow the Balinese Hindu concept of Tri Hita Karana: living in harmony with our spiritual, social, and natural environments. Through a variety of outreach programs, Bali Spirit works tirelessly to give back to the island and its people. Over the years, the festival has raised over $80,000 for their various initiatives. Their two primary programs are Bali ReGreen and Ayo! Kita Bicara HIV & AIDS. The former seeks to help some of Bali’s poorest communities through the planting of bamboo, while the latter focuses on educating Bali’s youth about HIV and AIDS. Both have seen huge success, and will only continue to grow in the years to come.
The Festival
A new home for Bali Spirit.
The festival takes place over five days, with the weekend being the busiest time. It’s split into two venues – Bhanuswari for the daytime and the nearby ARMA Museum after dark. During the day, attendees can join all sorts of classes and workshops. Although it’s very much a yoga festival, Bali Spirit also has tai chi, capoeira, and breath work, just for starters. These usually last for 60-90 minutes, and are led by world-class instructors.
Yoga class at Bali Spirit.
All classes take place in the large tents and pavilions that are constructed just for the festival. They’re all totally open on the sides, allowing for a nice breeze and some great views of the surrounding valleys and rice fields. The large pavilions can hold upwards of a few hundred people, so it’s usually not too hard to find a spot in a class.
A large dance class.
Those who can’t or don’t want to participate in the main festival can still get in on the action. While a full festival pass can be quite pricey (about $650 for the 5-day pass), it’s possible to just come up for a day and check out the Dharma Fair. This large outdoor marketplace features vendors selling everything from jewelry, clothing, yoga supplies, and even gelato.
Dharma Fair
For just a couple of bucks, you can explore the fair and all that it has to offer. This also gets you access to the Community Pavilion, which has classes all throughout the day, and the Coco Love Stage, where you’ll be able to take part in musical workshops and watch a talented array of musicians perform.
Music on the Coco Love Stage.
If you’re not exactly a yogi but you still want to get in on the Bali Spirit fun, you can just come rock out at the nighttime venue. Single and 3-day passes are available for the musical portion of the festival, where you’ll be able to see acts from all over the world. This year featured performers from the US, Argentina, Poland, Malaysia, Australia, and more.
Nighttime is the right time.
Volunteer
Be a part of the magic.
Such a large festival requires a large team, and you can be a part of it as well. Every year, Bali Spirit takes on well over 100 volunteers to assist with all aspects of the festival. In exchange for 25 hours of your time, you’ll get full access to both the daytime and evening venues, as well as a little after party the day after the fest wraps up. Having just completed my first stint volunteering at Bali Spirit, I can attest to the fact that it’s a great time. You meet tons of amazing people, get to help out with a very positive event, and you can join in the classes and the concerts when your shifts are finished.
