Rare Angon Festival: Thousands of Kites 'Decorate' the Sky of Mertasari Beach

The sky above Mertasari Beach, Sanur, is filled with thousands of traditional Balinese kites to international creations at the Rare Angon Kite Festival which will take place from 23 to 26 July 2026.

On the first day, kites were flown from 10.00 to 17.00 WITA. This year, the festival also features giant kites reaching 25 meters in length and around 20 meters in width, becoming one of the main attractions at the opening of the festival.

Entering the second day, kite flights will be held again from 10.00 to 17.00 WITA, followed by a night flying attraction starting at 19.00 WITA accompanied by live music. In this evening session, kites equipped with LED lights glow spectacularly in the dark sky, making for a show that is no less interesting than the daytime session.

Meanwhile, the third and fourth days were enlivened by traditional Balinese kite competitions, while the international kite flights shifted location to Muntig Siokan.

This year's festival was attended by participants from 23 countries, including Austria, Australia, Thailand, the Philippines, India and Germany. As many as 105 international kites were recorded in the air with various creative shapes, ranging from strawberries, frogs, puppets, to Ganesha. As for the traditional Balinese category, the festival was attended by more than 1,000 kites.

This festival also highlights three types of traditional Balinese kites, namely the bebean which is shaped like a fish, the pecukan which is shaped like an elongated oval, and the janggan which is considered the most magnificent. The janggan kite is carved to resemble Basuki's cosmic dragon and features a tail more than a hundred meters long in black, red and white.

Because they are considered sacred, janggan kites usually go through certain ceremonies before being flown for the first time.

The name "Rare Angon" itself is taken from one of the manifestations of Lord Shiva in the Balinese pantheon, namely Sang Hyang Rare Angon, who is depicted as a shepherd figure who summons the wind through his magic flute so that kites can fly.

Traditionally, farmers also believe that kites are able to ward off pests during the harvest season. The figure of Rare Angon is also worshiped on the holy day for animals known as Tumpek Kandang.