BaliMust read
AXEAN Festival 2026 unites Southeast Asia's music community in Bali
Bali newsBali4 min read
The AXEAN Festival 2026, held at Jimbaran Hub in Bali, attracted over 4,000 attendees across its three-day run, nearly doubling the previous edition's attendance. The festival brought together artists, fans, delegates, and music professionals for live performances, discussions, and cross-border discovery. AXEAN Festival co-founder and co-team leader Piyapong Muenprasertdee, also known as Py, highlighted the festival's success in encouraging diverse musical experiences, from moshing to dangdut ring dances. The festival deepened its ties with Bali's creative community by featuring more Indonesian acts and partnering with Craft Hotel in Ubud and Amplitude skate park in Seminyak for pre-event activities. Beyond the traditional showcase format, the festival included a Southeast Asian street food hawker centre and an arts and crafts area. AXEAN also served as a meeting point for the regional music industry, facilitating speed meetings, pitching sessions, and panel discussions. Partner activities included brunches hosted by Sounds Australia, Korea Spotlight programming by the Korea Creative Content Agency KOCCA, and initiatives involving France’s Centre national de la musique CNM. A significant development was the partnership with KEXP, marking the Seattle-based music platform's first presence in Asia and its first Asian festival partner for Live at KEXP, allowing 12 Southeast Asian artists to film and record performances. Since its launch, AXEAN Festival has featured over 290 artis
Original source
This summary was generated from a story originally published by Bali news.
More from Bali
Must readBali news·1 hour ago
Art & Bali 2026 showcases 23 galleries and over 300 artists at Nuanu Creative City
The second edition of Art & Bali, held from September 11 to 13, 2026, at Nuanu Creative City in Tabanan, Bali, featured 23 galleries and art spaces and more than 300 artists across a 44-hectare site. Inaugurated by Indonesia’s Ministry of Creative Economy, the event presented gallery presentations, commissioned installations, performances, and public programs, avoiding a traditional convention hall format. The flagship exhibition, "What The Body Remembers," curated by Bandana Tewari and Brina Paska, brought together 26 designers and makers from India and Indonesia, focusing on technique as a form of memory through cloth, dye, weave, and gesture. This exhibition remains open at Labyrinth Art Gallery until November 29, 2026. The event also included Nuanu Future Talks, with over 20 speakers discussing cultural ownership, the intersection of art and fashion, craft, technology, and the future of creative culture in Asia. Speakers included Irene Umar, Vice Minister of Creative Economy, Svida Alisjahbana of Jakarta Fashion Week, Sanjay Garg of Raw Mango, Toton Januar, and cultural archivist Marlowe Bandem of The Bali 1928 Archive. Most participating exhibitors were Indonesian, with 14 based in Bali, emphasizing the event's commitment to local and regional art. Art & Bali aims to channel international attention towards Indonesian art, with Nuanu's Social Fund allocating 62.9% of its IDR 5,614,736,034 in 2025 to art and culture programs.
8 min read
BreakingBali news·3 hours ago
Australian man and two children found dead in Bali bungalow
An Australian man, Damien John Shaw, 56, and his two children, aged four and six, were found dead in their Legian bungalow in Bali on Sunday morning. Indonesian police spokesman Senior Commander Ariasandy stated that Shaw suffered from severe anxiety. Shaw's Indonesian wife, who was in Jakarta, witnessed parts of the incident live on a security camera feed from her phone. She saw Shaw chase their four-year-old daughter, Laura, who was crying "I love you, Daddy," before he took her into a bedroom where their six-year-old son, Archie, was believed to have already been strangled. The mother alerted the bungalow owner, who was out of town, and then another employee. A worker from a neighboring construction site helped force entry into the locked bungalow, discovering the children in the bedroom and Shaw, who had taken his own life. The mother immediately flew back to Bali. Ariasandy mentioned that Shaw, a retired oil worker, had previously attempted suicide and had marital problems, though their relationship had recently improved. The couple had lived in the bungalow since 2022. Bali police consider this case unprecedented due to the involvement of a foreign father and the incident being captured on a home security camera.
7 min read
Must readBali news·5 hours ago
Batik Air to launch new direct flights to Bali and Batam from Malaysia in October
Batik Air will introduce two new direct flight routes from Malaysia to Indonesia in October, enhancing connectivity between the two countries. Starting October 20, Batik Air will operate four weekly direct flights from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang, Selangor, to Bali. These new flights will supplement the existing 35 weekly flights from Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 1 to Bali. Additionally, a new direct service from Penang to Batam will commence on October 18, with three flights per week. This new route will complement the airline’s existing seven weekly flights from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Batam. According to Batik Air CEO Datuk Chandran Rama Muthy, these new routes aim to meet demand from Malaysian travelers for destinations like Bali and Batam, while also strengthening Malaysia's position as a significant market for Indonesian visitors. For flight details and bookings, travelers can visit www.batikair.com.my.
7 min read