Tonight, Seven Ogoh-ogoh Nominees for Badung Saka Fest 2026 Begin Parade
Tonight, seven ogoh-ogoh from various desa adat in Badung regency will begin a parade at the Giri Nata Mandala Cultural Centre Field, Puspem Badung, this Friday evening (6 March 2026). This performance marks day one of the search for a winner in the annual Badung Caka Festival 2026 culture event.
‘The results now show 21 ogoh-ogoh or youth groups performing here as nominees. From that number we will filter further to determine Champion 1 to Hope 3,’ said Acting Head of the Badung Cultural Service, I Made Widiana.
Badung Caka Fest 2026 is held 6-8 March 2026. On the first day, works from Banjar Taman (Abiansemal), Banjar Badung (Mengwi), Banjar Kung (Dalung), and Banjar Tegal (Selat) will be showcased. In addition, representatives from Tempekan Tegal Permai (Kerobokan), Banjar Seminyak Kaja (Kuta), and Banjar Kulibul Kangin (Padonan) will parade as well.
‘Badung Saka Festival is a regular annual event that we will continue to hold as a space for the creativity of Yowana in Badung Regency. The theme now is Sakti Nugraha Loka, which means we empower the local potential that exists in Badung,’ Widiana said.
Before narrowing to 21 nominees, 583 banjar across Badung participated in the initial stage. The hundreds of participants were divided into seven judging zones to compete for the top three positions in each area.
‘This year Badung Saka Fest was participated by 583 banjar which we divided into seven judging zones. Next we select the three best from each zone to perform at the district level,’ he explained.
The Badung Regency Government is preparing total prizes of tens of millions of rupiah for the winners, with details: Rp 50 million for first place. The prize decreases by Rp 5 million for each lower position, down to Rp 25 million for the recipient of the Harapan 3 (Hope 3) title.
‘The prize for first place is Rp 50 million, then second place Rp 45 million, and third place Rp 40 million. It continues decreasing by Rp 5 million down to Harapan 3 at Rp 25 million,’ Widiana explained.
Regarding judging logistics, the committee engaged seven professional judges, all of whom were brought in from outside Badung regency. This step was taken to ensure objectivity in the assessment of the youths’ works.
‘All the judges are from outside Badung because we want to prioritise neutrality and sportspirit of the judges. In terms of scoring, 75 percent of the points come from the ogoh-ogoh themselves, and the remaining 25 percent from the dance fragments,’ he said.
The Cultural Service hopes this year’s event can run more safely and show an improvement in creativity compared to previous years. The main focus remains on the sportsmanship of participants in healthy competition.
‘Our first hope is that Saka Fest can run smoothly and be full of creativity. In the future, we also hope the event can continue to improve from previous years,’ concluded Widiana.
The atmosphere at the Giri Nata Mandala Cultural Centre Field, Puspem Badung, was already crowded from Friday afternoon. Spectators are expected to flood in until the official event starts later in the evening.