Bali Kite Festival : Indonesian Sky Celebrates its True Colours in Style!

One of the famous festivals in Indonesia, the Bali Kite Festival, kicks off in August when the winds start blowing across the beautiful island. It also marks the beginning of the tourist season as the festival attracts many tourists who gather to watch the beautiful sight of different kites flying in the sky. The festival is held across Bali, but the opening and closing events occur on Padanggalak Beach, north of Sanur. Read on to learn more about the Bali Kite Festival's unique traditions and significance!

What to Expect From the Bali Kite Festival? 

2024 Dates: July To October
The opening ceremony of the kite festival takes place in July, and the closing ceremony takes place in October. Several small-scale competitions and side events take place during the festive period, but most of the major events are conducted in the opening and closing months of the festival. Throughout the whole festival, a gamelan orchestra would play the traditional music of Bali.

During these months, the wind blowing from the ocean creates the perfect weather conditions for kite lovers to fly their kites. As the events heavily depend on the weather conditions, visitors are recommended to check the exact dates of the event. They should check out the official website of the local authorities for the precise location and correct timings. 

Bali Kite Festival Venue

This festival is hosted across several locations on the island of Bali. The opening and closing events occur on Padanggalak Beach, on the northern side of Sanur. Other locations of the festival would include Masceti Beach, which is in Gianyar town; Ungasan; Mertasari Beach, Sanur; Abiansemal, Badung; Klungklung, Pelangi; Ungasan, Bukit Peninsula; Peliatan, Ubud; Marga, Tabanan; Denpasar and Kuta.

The Tradition of the Bali Kite Festival

Bali Kite Festival is an international festival promoting and conserving Balinese tradition. In Bali culture, kite flying started as a seasonal festival that symbolizes gratitude and respect towards the Hindu gods for the abundant harvest and crops. It is also a way to seek the blessing from the gods. The communal youth group, also known as “Banjar,” would come with their respective kite group, known as “Sekaa Layangan,” to compete for the first prize. Since then, kite flying has gradually turned into a sporting event.  

What Happens at The Kite Festival

Presently, the festival welcomes teams from domestic and foreign origins to come and participate. Each team would consist of 70 to 80 members. The major task of the troupe would be to assemble their kite during the final event and successfully launch it along with its colorful tail. The teams would include flag bearers and flyers and the gamelan orchestra band for encouraging their kite flyers. These teams would compete with each other for the first prize, which has a large amount of monetary award.   

Along with the main competition, there are several other categories in which these teams would participate. The New Creation (Kreasi Baru) is the most famous competition, where the most creative and distinct kite is awarded. Under this competition, the team would have to display their new kites before the judges. Anything from three-dimensional figures to unusual designs and mascots could be presented. Other competitions include best kite design, longest kite flight, and best kite launch. 

The Significance of Kite-Making

Kites are the main focus of this festival. The kite-building process is also considered a special event by locals. The process would start long before the festival would commence. Each community would make an elaborate plan to build their unique kites, including a creative color scheme and suitable lightweight materials. The most common and applicable materials used for kite making would be cotton cloth and bamboo strips.

The whole building process of the kite would be completed under the supervision of the village elders. The local holy men and women, the Balkans, Mangku, and Pendanda, are consulted to decide on the auspicious times and days to make the kites. Younger members of the community are responsible for all the hard work that elders would need during the process of kite building.

These kite builders could also make musical kites known as “Guwang.” These kites would make a low humming sound that could cover a considerable distance.

Balinese Traditions Around Bali Kite Festival

The kites have various types and looks, but the significant ones follow the traditional style!

The three main categories of traditional kites are the bird-shaped kites called Janggan, the leaf-shaped kites called Pecukan, and the Bebeans, which are fish-shaped. The dimensions of these kites can be anywhere between 10 meters in length and 4 meters wide.

The Bebean is the largest, while the Janggan is the longest, with a long tail that goes over 100 meters.  Among the traditional kites, the Pecukan requires a skilled and experienced flier as this type of kite has an unstable form and can stumble to the ground frequently. More than ten expert kite fliers are needed to handle these kites.

Each of these traditional kites has its competition. There would be ten teams that would be allowed to participate in each type of kite. They would compete with each other to get the longest flight time and the best launch prize.

The Symbolic Elements - Colours of the Kites

The color combination of the traditional kite would generally consist of white, red, and black, along with yellow. Every aspect has a symbolic significance attached to the Balinese Hindu Trinity, which consists of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. The colour red stands for Brahma(the creator of the universe); white signifies Vishnu (the protector) and black stands for Shiva (the destroyer). The color yellow is added to appreciate the Dewata Nawa Sanga (eight gods representing eight directions).

Tips for Visitors

July and August are the peak season on Bali island; thus, the number of tourists would be very high. Here are some tips and advice that might help you enhance your kite festival experience.

• Find suitable means of Transport: Due to the peak season, the traveler might face heavy traffic on the road. Even the prices of local transportation might be higher. 
• Book in Advance: It is recommended that they reserve accommodation in advance as they might be unable to book hotel rooms when they reach the festival's location.  
• Carry ID cards: The visitors should be careful regarding their surroundings. Always carry identification and the contact information of the hotel where you are staying presently. In any case of any trouble, the hotel staff will help you resolve these matters.
• Learn Basic Balinese language: Tourists should learn the basic greetings in the native language of the island. Learning these basic greetings would help in local interaction. You could also get information regarding hidden places on the island that are only known to locals.
• Pack light: As Bali is a tropical island, humidity levels would be very high. Thus, visitors are recommended to pack light cotton clothes, or you could buy them from the local market.