This is an open invitation into Ubud’s studios and into the working lives of the artists shaping Bali’s creative world.
For a few days each year, Ubud not only becomes a postcard of rice fields and wellness retreats. It becomes a celebration of art. Enter Ubud Open Studios — an annual event that is less “stage and schedule,” but more “wander and wonder”. This isn’t the kind of art experience that requires a humanities degree or deep pockets… Just a whole lot of curiosity.
Tell us, what is Ubud Open Studios?
Think of it as a backstage pass to Ubud’s creative life. Ubud Open Studios is an annual multi-day art event where more than 60 international and local artists open their private studios to the public. Painters, ceramicists, architects, textile designers, woodworkers — you name it; you’ll find them here.
Instead of viewing finished works under gallery lighting, you step into the spaces where the work unfolds. Think: paint-streaked tables, half-carved sculptures, and raw sketches scattered around
Here, you don’t learn about art from a text box on a wall; it’s something shared through real conversations with the artists themselves.
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When is the Ubud Open Studios event?
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The fifth edition of Ubud Open Studios will take place on June 5–7, 2026, happening across Ubud and surrounding Gianyar. The event pulls you away from the usual art spaces and into working studios tucked behind bamboo gates, jungle paths, and close to rice fields.
Art is part of Bali’s DNA, rooted in Hindu-Balinese rituals and expressed through carving, textiles, and silverwork. Ubud Open Studios builds on this legacy, showcasing both the island’s artistic traditions and its ever-evolving creative scene.
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What else should I know about Ubud Open Studios?
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A festival pass gives you access to 60+ participating studios, a printed and digital map, and entry to the wider programme including talks and the Studio Showcase. This is what you’ll get:
- 1-day pass: from RP 275,000
- 3-day pass: from RP 675,000
- Unlimited studio access during validity period
- Entry to talks, demonstrations, and showcase events
An important note: photography is welcome in many spaces, but always ask first. Some artists are open to portraits with their work; others prefer their process remain unrecorded.
What to expect in Ubud Open Studios 2026?
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This year leans even more into the idea of process over perfection. Studios may host live demonstrations, intimate workshops, or open archives of past work. Some artists will be painting; others might just talk you through how an idea turns into form.
And the best part? It’s a choose-your-own-adventure kind of experience where conversations and whatever catches your eye in the moment shape your route.
There are no shuttle buses to get around, which is very on-brand for Ubud, so movement between studios is entirely self-directed, whether by scooter or car. Typically, 5–7 studios a day is the sweet spot before your brain (and maybe scooter stamina) taps out.
Where should I stay in Ubud?
Where you stay matters almost as much as where you wander. These villas by The Luxe Nomad feel like it’s part of the experience.
Villa Crystal Castle
Why go? For a stay where wellness isn’t an activity you book elsewhere, it’s something the villa encourages.
Set in the middle of rice paddies, Villa Crystal Castle draws you back into nature with the sound of a nearby stream and the unfamiliar chorus of nature. Here, the yoga shala isn’t tucked away as an afterthought; it opens out to rice fields, making even the simplest stretch feel cinematic.
Every villa has a pool but this one has a rose quartz reflexology path — a detail you try once and wonder why other villas follow suit. It’s easy to be inspired in this grounding space, whether that means moving through a few asanas or simply sitting with a notebook, facing the fields.
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Nag Shampa Private Estate
Why go? For an Ubud stay that feels like a living, breathing artistic space — one that works just as beautifully for shared experiences as it does for solo reflection.
Nag Shampa Private Estate has the scale and soul of a place designed for gathering. Set in Taro, one of Bali’s oldest villages, it flows through open pavilions, gardens, and contemplative spaces like moving through different rooms of an artwork, each with its own mood and texture.
It’s especially well-suited for larger groups where everyone has space to come together. After a day immersed in Ubud’s art scene, it becomes the natural place to regroup — where ideas are shared over long tables, conversations spill into the gardens, and the experience of the day settles in good company.
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Manu Villas
Why go? For a Sanur stay that feels like it understands the assignment: beach mornings, café afternoons, and the kind of villa setup perfect for families and friends.
Manu Villas sits between the two personalities of Sanur, the calm shoreline where the tides behave themselves and the easygoing stretch of cafés and restaurants just off the main road. It’s designed as two villas that can be taken separately or together, which means it scales beautifully from family to full-group stays.
Just a 20-minute drive from Ubud, Manu Villas gives you easy access to galleries, studios, and village craft culture without giving up Sanur’s sunrise beaches and coastal days. It’s a base that lets you move between two very different sides of Bali, depending on your mood.
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