GIANYAR, Balipolitika.com- Sthala Ubud Village Jazz Festival (UVJF) 2026 opened this evening at STHALA Ubud Bali, A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, welcoming audiences to two days of performances for the festival’s 13th edition, 7 August 2026
A brief opening ceremony took place on the Giri Stage from 6:05 to 6:20 PM, followed by an energetic performance by Salamander Big Band, the Bandung-based independent jazz orchestra celebrating nearly two decades together with a lineup of around 27 musicians.
Earlier in the evening, audiences also enjoyed performances by Rason Trio and Imelda Rosalin Quintet, before the festival continued with LaDju, Simone Prattico Java Collective, Dattie Do Duo, Straight & Stretch, and Michael Ananda Trio across the Giri and Subak stages.
The festival unfolds across three interconnected performance spaces: the Giri Stage, the riverside Subak Stage nestled among banyan trees and natural rock formations, and the Community Stage, where Westside Vinyl DeeJays keep jazz-inspired vinyl selections spinning throughout the afternoon.
Reflecting on the philosophy behind the festival, Heru Djatmiko of the UVJF 2026 Committee said commercial success has never been the festival’s driving force.
“We didn’t build this festival to make money. We built it because we love jazz.”
That same spirit was echoed by Lasta Arimbawa, General Manager of STHALA Ubud Bali, who said he was struck by how completely the familiar venue had been transformed this year.
“The first thing that struck me was the creativity. Same venue. Different setup. That deserves real appreciation.”
Lasta also recalled a moment from last week’s press conference when a journalist asked festival co-founder Yuri Mahatma about this year’s attendance target.
“Yuri simply replied, ‘I don’t care about the numbers. As long as people come and enjoy the music, that’s enough for me.’ To me, that was a powerful statement—just as meaningful as Pak Heru saying this festival wasn’t created to make money, but out of love for jazz. Those two statements tell you everything about what this festival stands for. Ubud Village Jazz Festival is built with heart.”
One of this year’s most significant additions is the festival’s first-ever visual art exhibition, titled Second Life: An Exhibition of Found Materials & Upcycled Art, curated by the art collective Kala Patha.
The exhibition features works by eight contemporary artists—Ayu Murniati, Defina Sumardji, Ediwe, I Komang Adiartha, Modjo, Nym Handi Ya, Skinner Ohrami, and Sofiya Shukhova—each transforming discarded objects, reclaimed materials, and industrial remnants into new artistic forms.
Presented under Kala Patha’s curatorial concept, Island of Hope, the exhibition invites visitors on a journey through Bali’s environmental realities before leading them toward a more hopeful vision.
Outside the venue, visitors first encounter propaganda-style posters highlighting some of Bali’s most pressing challenges, including overtourism, environmental degradation, mounting waste, and shrinking green spaces. Nearby stands an installation created in collaboration with artist Edy W, who transforms discarded flip-flops into the figure of a woman carrying stones from a Balinese river—a reflection on labour, memory, and waste.
Stepping inside, however, the atmosphere changes completely. Bright colours, playful installations, and an immersive spatial experience create the sense of entering an “Island of Hope,” where creativity offers an alternative way of imagining the future.
Kala Patha has also designed a fully modular pop-up gallery specifically for the festival, with each display structure customised around the character of the individual artworks. Among the highlights are works by Modjo, who transforms leftover construction materials—including used paint cans and discarded plywood—into sculptural pieces inspired by his signature Barong-inspired characters.
For Kala Patha co-founder Defina Sumardji, the exhibition is as much about changing perspectives as it is about showcasing art.
“For us, discarded objects aren’t the end of a story—they’re the beginning of another one. What many people see as waste can become sculpture, painting, or installation. It’s simply a matter of looking at materials differently.”
Second Life is open to the public free of charge from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM on both festival days, 7–8 August 2026, at STHALA Ubud Bali. After 3:00 PM, access follows standard festival admission with a valid UVJF ticket.
Sustainability extends beyond the exhibition itself. Around the Community Stage, visitors can recharge their devices using solar-powered charging stations developed in partnership with InfiSolar. The system also supplies part of the electricity used by the surrounding festival booths, demonstrating how renewable energy can be integrated into everyday public events.
Sthala Ubud Village Jazz Festival 2026 continues on Saturday, 8 August, with performances by H ZETTRIO from Japan, Jadi Peperzak Quartet, and a closing appearance by Salamander Big Band on the Giri Stage.
About Ubud Village Jazz Festival
Founded in 2013, Ubud Village Jazz Festival is an annual community-based international jazz festival in Bali that brings together Indonesian and international musicians through performances, educational programmes, and cultural exchange. The 2026 festival marks its 13th edition. (bp/rls/ken)
