Ngurupuk Parade
Ngurupuk Parade
The Ngurupuk Parade — also known as Pengerupukan — is the most spectacular night in the Balinese Hindu calendar, falling on the evening before Nyepi (the Day of Silence). Across the entire island, from village lanes to city boulevards, towering Ogoh-ogoh effigies are paraded through the streets accompanied by gamelan music, torchlight, and deliberate noise-making to drive away evil spirits before the silence begins.
Ogoh-ogoh are giant demon sculptures — some reaching 5 to 8 metres tall — built from bamboo, polystyrene, and paper over weeks of painstaking work by each village’s sekaa teruna (youth group). These figures represent Bhuta Kala, the negative forces and human vices that must be expelled before the Balinese Saka New Year begins. Each banjar (village ward) typically builds one Ogoh-ogoh, and the unofficial competition between wards produces extraordinary craftsmanship every year.
Parades begin around 6:00 PM and run well into the night. Roads close to vehicles from around 4:00 PM. The best viewing locations are Kuta, Seminyak, Sanur, Ubud, and Denpasar — each area has its own character and scale. After the procession, many Ogoh-ogoh are ceremonially burned as a ritual act of purification before Bali enters its 24-hour silence.
Ngurupuk 2027 falls on Sunday, March 7, 2027 — the evening before Nyepi 2027 (Monday, March 8, 2027, Saka Year 1949). Visitors are warmly welcome to watch. No ticket is needed — simply find a spot on the roadside before 5:30 PM at your chosen location. Bring water, be prepared to stand, and expect a genuinely extraordinary atmosphere.
Note: Ngurupuk follows the Balinese Saka calendar. Nyepi 2028 is expected on March 26, 2028, making Ngurupuk 2028 on March 25, 2028. Dates are confirmed by the Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia each year.
