DENPASAR, DEWATA.NEWS – The Denpasar City Government will host the fourth Kasanga Festival from March 6 to 8, 2026, in the Catur Muka area and Puputan Badung Square as part of preparations for the Nyepi Day of Silence.
Unlike previous editions, this year’s ogoh-ogoh parade will adopt a moving parade system similar to the Peed Aye format used during the Bali Arts Festival (PKB). The event will focus primarily on traditional art performances, with no music concerts scheduled.
Denpasar Deputy Mayor I Kadek Agus Arya Wibawa announced the changes during a press conference at Graha Yowana Suci on Wednesday (March 4).
“This year we will implement a carnival-style parade so spectators can spread out along the route, reducing crowd concentration in the Catur Muka area,” Arya Wibawa said.
Parade Route and Participants
The parade will feature 16 ogoh-ogoh groups that have reached the Kasanga Festival final round, representing the four districts of Denpasar.
Participants will begin their performances from the starting point and continue along the full parade route, rather than concentrating the main attraction only at the Catur Muka intersection as in previous years.
The parade will start in front of Jayasabha, the official residence of the Bali Governor. The route will circle the Catur Muka area once before continuing south and finishing at Jalan Gajah Mada near the southern end of Puputan Badung Square.
To maintain safety and smooth movement, barriers will be installed along Jalan Udayana to prevent spectators or unauthorized individuals from entering the parade formation behind the ogoh-ogoh during performances.
Cultural Performances and Traditional Food
In addition to the main parade, Kasanga Festival will include several cultural competitions and performances, including mini ogoh-ogoh contests, sketch competitions, tapel mask performances, barong dance, bleganjur music performances, and an ogoh-ogoh parade organized by early childhood education groups (IGTKI).
Festival food stalls will focus exclusively on traditional Balinese cuisine prepared by youth organizations (Sekaa Teruna Teruni). Organizers also plan to implement waste management practices to separate and manage trash during the three-day event.
Vice Chairman of the festival committee I Gede Yogi Pramana said the 16 finalist ogoh-ogoh will begin arriving in the festival area early on March 6.
“Loading will continue until 2:00 PM on the event day. All ogoh-ogoh will be arranged from in front of Jayasabha to Jalan Kaliasem before the parade begins at 5:00 PM,” he explained.
Judging System and Awards
The judging process will follow the entire parade route, similar to the system used during the Bali Arts Festival.
Judge representative I Gede Anom Ranuara emphasized that discipline and performance accuracy will be key factors in the evaluation.
“Judges will observe from the start to the finish line. If individuals outside the official team enter the formation, they may be removed immediately or participants may receive point deductions to maintain the integrity of the performance,” he said.
Each of the 16 finalists will receive a participation grant of IDR 30 million. Additional prizes will be awarded to the top performers, with IDR 50 million for first place, IDR 40 million for second place, and IDR 30 million for third place.
Consolation winners will receive IDR 20 million, IDR 15 million, and IDR 10 million respectively.
Separate competitions will also be held for mini ogoh-ogoh models and ogoh-ogoh sketches, with prizes ranging from IDR 3 million to IDR 10 million depending on the category.
The Kasanga Festival has become one of Denpasar’s major cultural events leading up to Nyepi, highlighting youth creativity and traditional Balinese art while drawing large numbers of residents and visitors to the city center.