Bali Seeks National Holidays for Galungan and Kuningan

Denpasar — Bali is seeking national-holiday status for Galungan and Kuningan after the two Hindu celebrations were designated Indonesian Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2025, according to reports published Sept. 24, 2026.

The change comes as the heritage designation has formally recorded Galungan and Kuningan as part of Bali’s religious and cultural heritage. The recognition does not itself make either celebration a national holiday, and Bali’s Provincial Culture Office has not formally submitted a proposal to the central government.

The recognition does not yet change holiday status

For foreign residents and visitors, the practical position remains unchanged: the heritage designation does not automatically create a nationwide public holiday. Any future change would depend on a decision by Indonesia’s central government. The reports do not state that such a decision has been made.

Galungan and Kuningan are celebrated across Bali’s regencies and cities. Their inclusion in the national register strengthens official documentation of traditions that are religious as well as cultural, while the hope for national-holiday status follows that recognition.

NusaBali reported that Bali’s Provincial Culture Office hopes the celebrations could eventually receive the same national-holiday recognition as Nyepi. It also reported that the office has not followed the heritage designation with a formal proposal to change their holiday status.

Bali Post reported that the recognition was made in 2025 and that the provincial office had not officially submitted the proposal to the central government as of Sept. 24, 2026. The reports therefore describe a request or expectation, not an enacted national rule.

Sources

• Bali Post — Balinese news outlet
• NusaBali — Balinese news outlet
• news.detik.com
• sbexcursion.com