program

Festival Opening Gala and Dinner

Special Events

28 October 2025 | 18:00 - 22:00

Puri Agung Ubud

Join our magical beginning to the region's most fearless Festival. On the grounds of the Ubud Royal Palace, our Festival Opening Gala pulses with life, a night of spectacle showcasing everything the Festival does best: bold ideas and powerful performances. Expect literal standouts from across the program: fiery writers, blazing talent artists, and festival supporters and officials, all handpicked for a night of glory. You will leave buzzing and bragging.

Add a seat to the exclusive Gala Dinner following the ceremony at Casa Luna. Enjoy world-class Balinese dishes, handmade with seasonal local produce, and get close to your favourite, or soon-to-be favourite, authors and thinkers in a magical setting, making it a night to remember.

The Festival Opening Gala takes place at Puri Agung Ubud, followed by dinner at Casa Luna, which is just a five-minute walk away.

Get Your Ticket

Share Event

Save to Calendar

Featuring

Melbourne-born Janet DeNeefe, Founder & Director of Ubud Food Festival and Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, has lived in Bali for more than three decades. Her latest book is Bali: Food of My Island Home, following her memoir Fragrant Rice. She is also the owner of Casa Luna, Indus Restaurant, and Honeymoon Guesthouse and Bakery in Ubud.

Janet DeNeefe kelahiran Melbourne, Pendiri & Direktur Ubud Food Festival dan Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, telah tinggal di Bali selama lebih dari tiga dekade. Buku terbarunya adalah Bali: Food of My Island Home, mengikuti memoarnya Fragrant Rice. Dia juga pemilik Casa Luna, Indus Restaurant, dan Honeymoon Guesthouse and Bakery di Ubud.

See Speaker Details

RELEVANT program

Special Events

31 October 2025 | 16:00 - 20:00

Discover the Magic of Fireflies Village with Bella Li Rumah Konservasi Kunang-Kunang

Step into a realm of enchantment with Wayan Wardika as your guide on a captivating Fireflies Tour through Taro Village in Ubud, where twilight...

Special Events

30 October 2025 | 11:00 - 13:00

Stories That Matter Begawan Biji Restaurant

Meet Craig Leeson, an award-winning filmmaker, environmental activist, and journalist with a mission. He is the director of A Plastic...

Special Events

30 October 2025 | 16:00 - 20:00

Discover the Magic of Fireflies Village with Agustinus... Rumah Konservasi Kunang-Kunang

Step into a realm of enchantment with Wayan Wardika as your guide on a captivating Fireflies Tour through Taro Village in Ubud, where twilight...

Special Events

01 November 2025 | 18:00 - 20:00

Banu Mushtaq and Jenny Erpenbeck in Conversation Casa Luna

Banu Mushtaq, an Indian writer, women’s rights activist, lawyer, and winner of the 2025 International Booker Prize for Heart Lamp, joins...

Special Events

02 November 2025 | 15:00 - 17:00

Forest Therapy Jingga Restaurant at Bumi Kinar

The forest is a treasure trove of benefits waiting to be uncovered. Nina Karnikowski, who tackles social and environmental challenges, pairs up...

Special Events

01 November 2025 | 10:00 - 11:30

5Rhythms Dance Meditation with Gina Chick Soulshine Bali

5Rhythms dance meditation is a conscious movement practice that offers a map for our deep wisdom to surface by following the innate intelligence of...

Special Events

30 October 2025 | 18:00 - 19:00

Masks of Bali: Between Heaven and Hell Indus Restaurant

Join a journey into the origins, history and living legacy of Balinese mask dance, an ancient performance art spanning over a thousand years....

Special Events

31 October 2025 | 16:30 - 19:30

History Duet: Cosmos and Kingdom Honeymoon Garden

Step into a history lesson like no other at Honeymoon Garden. Under the watchful gaze of Shiva and Ganesha, you'll gather for an afternoon that...

Special Events

30 October 2025 | 16:00 - 17:30

Porter 02: Living Dangerously Indus Restaurant

Porter is a magazine by Peron House that gathers off-the-beaten-path narratives for discerning travellers, creatives, and makers.

Special Events

02 November 2025 | 10:00 - 11:30

The Maestro: Antonio Blanco The Blanco Renaissance Museum

More than just a painter, Antonio Blanco was an eccentric force who dove passionately into the enchanting chaos of Ubud. He painted layers of...

Special Events

31 October 2025 | 19:00 - 21:30

What Do We Do Now Arcadia Restaurant

Enter the elegant environs of Arcadia, into a gathering of some of the Festivals most impressive writers. Banu Mushtaq, Deepa Bhasti, Thomas Mayo,...

Special Events

30 October 2025 | 10:00 - 12:00

Pitch to Penguin Di Sini Di Sana by Rachman & Sons

Do you have a manuscript or book idea you’re itching to get out there? Join leading publishers Penguin Random House and share your ten-minute pitch...

Special Events

31 October 2025 | 18:15 - 20:00

The 100th Printing of Laut Bercerita Alang-Alang Stage

Join us for a special celebration of one of Indonesia’s most influential literary works. Leila S. Chudori’s Laut Bercerita, published in...

Special Events

30 October 2025 | 06:00 - 08:00

Birdwatching Tour with Darryl Jones on Thursday Meeting point in front of ApotekKU Campuhan Ubud

Join Darryl Jones in an early morning bird-walking tour across the Tjampuhan Ridge, Ubud’s most breathtaking iconic walk. The trail starts at the...

Special Events

31 October 2025 | 06:00 - 08:00

Birdwatching Tour with Darryl Jones on Friday Meeting point in front of ApotekKU Campuhan Ubud

Join Darryl Jones in an early morning bird-walking tour across the Tjampuhan Ridge, Ubud’s most breathtaking iconic walk. The trail starts at the...

Special Events

01 November 2025 | 06:00 - 08:00

Birdwatching Tour with Darryl Jones on Saturday Meeting point in front of ApotekKU Campuhan Ubud

Join Darryl Jones in an early morning bird-walking tour across the Tjampuhan Ridge, Ubud’s most breathtaking iconic walk. The trail starts at the...

Special Events

30 October 2025 | 17:30 - 19:00

The Recurrent Mystical Plataran Ubud Hotel & Spa

William Dalrymple, historian of legends, myths and magic; Titah Aw, writer of ghosts and local wisdom; Ingrid Rojas Contreras, author of the...

Special Events

30 October 2025 | 18:00 - 19:30

Short Stories, Long Nights COMO Uma Ubud

Miles Merrill presents a luxurious night of wine-pairing, artisan cheese and poetry at Kemiri, COMO Uma Ubud’s frangipani-fringed restaurant. Short...

Special Events

31 October 2025 | 18:00 - 19:30

Navigating the World COMO Uma Ubud

At the crossroads of culture and exploration, where off-the-beaten-path adventures meet the ideals of sustainable travel, our writers dive deep...

Special Events

31 October 2025 | 12:30 - 14:30

Heirlooms: Literary Long Table Lunch Herb Library Ubud

Join us at the charming open-air Herb Library for a long-table lunch that marries inventive, health-conscious cuisine with a deep dive into...

Words shape our worlds.

Back

Close

Close

Scroll Down

Loading...

Select

Cancel

Day +

Category +

Time +

SHOW FREE EVENTS ONLY

APPLY FILTER

Reset