Buleleng Targets 25,000 Visitors for Lovina Festival 2026 Amid High Tourist Interest
The Buleleng Regency Government (Pemkab Buleleng) is targeting 25,000 visitors for the Lovina Festival 2026, scheduled to take place from 24 to 28 July 2026. This optimism is driven by growing tourist interest, including foreign visitors who have begun extending their stays specifically to enjoy the festival programme.
Buleleng Regent I Nyoman Sutjidra stated that all preparations for the Lovina Festival have been completed. Two main stages in the Tasik Madu and Pantai Binaria areas are confirmed ready for use from the opening to the closing of the festival.
“We are targeting an average of around 5,000 visitors per day over the five days of the event, bringing the total to approximately 25,000 people. Last year, visitor numbers reached around 30,000, so we hope this year will be even better,” Sutjidra said during a press conference in the Lovina Beach area on Thursday (23/7/2026).
According to Sutjidra, tourist enthusiasm was already palpable even before the festival officially opened. While inspecting the Lovina area, he received information from tourism business operators that a number of foreign tourists had chosen to extend their stays in order to enjoy the entire festival agenda.
“Several guests staying at hotels around Lovina decided to extend their stay because they wanted to enjoy the Lovina Festival. This shows that the festival is capable of being an attraction for tourists,” he said.
Sutjidra expressed hope that the increase in tourist visits during the festival would provide a multiplier effect for the community’s economy. The presence of tourists is believed to stimulate UMKM operators, increase hotel occupancy, and encourage visits to various tourist destinations around Lovina.
“The more tourists who come, the greater the economic turnover. UMKM businesses move, hotel occupancy rates increase, and tourist destinations in the villages around Lovina also benefit,” he stated.
Chairperson of the Lovina Festival 2026 Committee, Putu Ayu Reika Nurhaeni, explained that this year’s festival duration has been extended to five days as a strategy to increase the length of stay of tourists in Buleleng.
According to Reika, the festival concept does not only focus on entertainment but is also designed so that tourists have more time to enjoy cultural attractions, interact with local communities, and visit various tourist destinations around the Lovina area.
“So there are several event programmes, the first of which is traditional arts, then modern arts, and side events,” Reika said.
Lovina Festival 2026 will involve around 250 performers, 82 UMKM operators, and 44 communities. A variety of agendas have been prepared, ranging from traditional and modern art performances, a mini sailboat race with 1,230 participants, a cross-country competition, a ‘sapi gerumbungan’ (decorated cow) attraction, a movement to promote fish consumption, book reviews, to creative economy discussions.
Similar optimism was also voiced by Lovina tourism operators. One restaurant owner in the Lovina area, I Nyoman Arya Astawa, assessed that the festival’s impact is not only visible from the bustling crowds but also from the increase in tourists’ length of stay.
“They stay in hotels for several days, enjoy dolphin watching tours, and then shop at UMKM outlets in Buleleng. So it is not just about coming to attend one event, but there is an economic effect generated throughout the festival,” said Arya.
He revealed that hotel occupancy rates in the Lovina area began to surge ahead of the festival’s opening. Based on information he obtained from several hotel managers, many accommodations have been fully booked since Friday (24/7/2026).
“I tried to find a hotel for a friend, and it turned out there were no rooms available. I asked several hotels, and many tourists came specifically to watch the Lovina Festival, especially to take part in the cross-country activities,” he concluded.