What's On at the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival 2026
Updated: Sep 12
The Ubud Writers and Readers Festival 2026 runs from 21 to 25 October 2026 in Ubud, its 23rd edition. It is a five-day literary festival built around talks, panels, readings and workshops, this year under the theme Samarasa, drawn from Sanskrit ideas of harmony between mind, heart and action. We cover the dates, the venues, what the programme includes, and how to plan a trip around it.
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Visiting Ubud During the Festival
Ubud is at its busiest during the festival, and the town's narrow streets, cafes and venues fill quickly. Sessions spread across multiple locations, some tickets sell out, and accommodation tightens for the dates. Travellers who arrive without a plan can miss the events they wanted and pay peak prices for a room. Booking the sessions, the stay and the transport ahead turns a crowded week into the highlight it is meant to be.
Read more: Ubud
What to Know About the Festival
The 2026 festival runs from 21 to 25 October, its 23rd edition, across venues in Ubud.
The programme carries more than 100 events with over 150 writers, thinkers and artists.
Main-programme sessions are ticketed, alongside free and special events and masterclasses.
Sessions are spread across several Ubud venues, not a single site.
Book accommodation early, as Ubud is at its fullest during the festival dates.
What the Festival Programme Includes
Across the five days from 21 to 25 October 2026, the festival runs more than a hundred events, from author talks and panel discussions to readings, film and music. The main programme is ticketed and built around this year's theme, Samarasa, which draws on Sanskrit philosophy and the harmony between mind, heart and action. More than 150 writers, journalists, poets and thinkers take part.
Beyond the ticketed sessions there is a wide free and special programme: cultural workshops, masterclasses, book launches, exhibitions and community events run alongside the main talks. This is where a lot of the festival's character sits, so it is worth reading the daily schedule rather than only booking the headline names. That is where we would spend the planning time.
The festival is spread across multiple venues in and around Ubud, which is part of its appeal and its logistical catch. Sessions run close together at different sites, so plan your day by location, leave time to move between venues on foot or by short ride, and build in the breaks that make Ubud worth being in anyway.
See also: understanding Balinese culture
Ubud Writers Festival 2026, Common Questions
When is the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival 2026?
The 2026 festival runs from 21 to 25 October 2026, its 23rd edition. It takes place across multiple venues in Ubud, Bali, over five days.
What is the theme of the 2026 festival?
The 2026 theme is Samarasa, a Sanskrit concept the festival describes as the harmony between Citta, the mind, Rasa, the heart, and Karsa, action, framed as Awareness, Empathy and Action.
Do I need tickets for the festival?
The main-programme sessions are ticketed, and popular ones sell out, so book ahead. There is also a substantial free and special programme of workshops, launches and community events that does not require a main-programme ticket.
Where is the festival held in Ubud?
Across several venues in and around Ubud rather than one central site. Sessions are scheduled close together at different locations, so plan your day by venue and allow time to move between them.
Is the festival suitable for a general visitor, not just writers?
Yes. Alongside the literary sessions there are talks on culture, politics, environment and ideas, plus workshops, food, film and music, so it works for anyone interested in the conversations, not only writers.
Plan Your Festival Trip to Ubud
The festival rewards a bit of planning: book the sessions you care about, lock in a room before Ubud fills, and sort how you will move between venues. Do that and the five days are one of the best times to be in town.
Use the links below to line up where you stay, what you do and how you get around Ubud.
Where To Stay?
Book your Ubud room well before the festival fills up the town. Compare hotels and villas across Ubud and Bali and settle your first night early.
Things To Do
Pair the festival with the very best of Ubud. Browse tours, workshops and day trips around Ubud and book the experiences you want in good time.
Rent A Car
Move between the Ubud venues and beyond with ease. Compare car hire across Bali, check what your licence needs, and collect without a long queue.
Sources: Ubud Writers & Readers Festival
Last verified: 11 September 2026
