Bali Arts Festival to kick off on June 19

This year's Bali Arts Festival, held from June 19 to July 17, will showcase artistic works from Bali, providing the opportunity for travellers to view the island's rich and unique culture.

Selected arts groups from several different provinces in Indonesia are expected to participate in the festival. They will present traditional arts from their respective provinces.

And as in last year's festival, overseas artits from several countries, including Korea and Japn will also demonstrate their artistic talents in the festival.

The one-month-long extravaganza will be held in several stages, with open-stage Ardha Chandra, down town of Denpasar, to be used as a venue for the opening ceremony .

Dance performances by the Denpasar Arts College (STSI) students will highlight the openining ceremony.

Local dancers, musicians and thespians have been enthusiastically engaged in rehearsing to make their performances run well.

The Bali Arts Festival dated back over two decades ago when late Ida Bagus Mantra, former Director General of Culture who was then selected as Bali Governor (1978-1988) saw the need to have a medium to promote Balinese culture to international community as part of continuous efforts to boost tourism. This led to the holding of the first Bali Arts Festival in 1978. The festival showcasing diverse, vibrant and unique arts and culture from Bali has lured numerous overseas travellers to come to the Island of God.

Since then, the Bali Arts Festival is held annually.

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