The 48th Bali Arts Festival (Pesta Kesenian Bali/PKB) 2026 officially inaugurated with the launch of the Peed Aya (cultural parade) in the front of Monumen Perjuangan Rakyat Balit Niti Mandala, Denpasar, on Saturday. Thousands of residents and tourists crowded the venue to witness the opening of Bali’s largest annual cultural celebration.
This year’s festival carries the theme “Atma Kerthi: Jiwa Sidha Parisudha, Memuliakan Jiwa Paripurna” (Purification of the Soul: Honoring the Perfect Spirit), emphasizing the importance of elevating the human spirit through the strengthening of cultural, artistic, and spiritual values.
The Director General of Hindu Community Guidance at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Prof. I Nengah Duija, attended the opening ceremony and the cultural parade, which featured diverse traditional artistic expressions from regencies and cities across Bali.
Prof. I Nengah Duija stated that Balinese art and Hinduism are inseparable elements in preserving Bali’s identity and cultural continuity.
"In 1952, the Balinese cultural and religious scholar I Gusti Bagus Sugriwa said that Hinduism and Balinese art cannot be separated. If Balinese art disappears, Hinduism will decline; and if Hinduism disappears, Balinese art will also lose its existence," said Prof. Duija.
Moreover, the long-standing journey of PKB XLVIII 2026 serves as clear evidence that art and Hinduism remain the two primary pillars sustaining Bali’s identity amid rapid social and cultural change.
He also quoted the renowned philosopher Leo Tolstoy, who emphasized the essential role of art in nurturing humanity.
"Only art has the power to remove the brutality of human life. In the context of Bali, the body of religion is art, and the soul of art is religion," he remarked.
Prof. I Nengah Duija emphasized that PKB XLVIII 2026 is more than just a cultural performance venue; it is a platform for preserving living values deeply rooted in society. He noted that the festival emerged from a fusion of folk and classical arts that continues to evolve without losing its spiritual foundation.
"Art will continue to develop alongside human imagination and thought. However, as long as the fundamental values of art rooted in Hindu traditions remain alive in the collective memory of Balinese society, art will never be eroded by the passage of time," he said.
The Bali Arts Festival is an annual cultural program organized by the Provincial Government of Bali, serving as both a platform for artistic appreciation and the preservation of traditional arts. Through this year’s Atma Kerthi theme, PKB XLVIII 2026 is expected to further strengthen the harmonious relationship between art, culture, religion, and the daily lives of the people of Bali.
Editor : I Made Juni Saputra
Photographer : I Gede Dipayana
Contributed and translated by Muhammad Mahmud Alhushori
