Viral Alleged Sexual Harassment at PKB 2026 Opening, Satpol PP Responds

A video circulated online from a visitor who allegedly experienced sexual harassment while attending the opening of the Bali Arts Festival (PKB) at the Art Centre in Denpasar some time ago. In her post, the woman recounted an unpleasant experience while in the middle of the crowd. She claimed a man stood beside her with his body pressed against her. Feeling uncomfortable, she ultimately decided to go home with her husband. The post also drew responses from other netizens who claimed to have experienced similar incidents, with one even attaching a photo of the suspected perpetrator.

Head of the Bali Public Order Agency (Satpol PP), Dewa Nyoman Rai Dharmadi, expressed regret over the incident. He stated that security and combined patrols by officers would be increased during the festival. “The victim did not report it, and it ended up going viral on social media. We will take this as a note to intensify supervision at the location in the future,” Dharmadi said on Thursday (18/6/2026).

He also regretted that the victim did not immediately report the incident to the security post. Dharmadi admitted it was difficult to investigate who the perpetrator was due to the absence of an official report. “We are not defending ourselves; we thank the public for speaking out on social media, but the public also needs to be smart in anticipating such matters. Incidents should not be reported to us only after they have passed,” he stated.