Ubud Writers Festival 2026: dates, tickets and your stay

Ubud Writers & Readers Festival takes place on 21–25 October 2026, while the main programme covered by festival passes runs 22–25 October 2026. That distinction matters when booking a room: the opening date of the whole event doesn't add another day to your main-programme pass. Choose the sessions that interest you before deciding how long to stay in Ubud. Organiser's dates and tickets

Information and prices checked on 18 October 2026. The travel options below are editorial suggestions, not an account of attending the festival.

Should you choose a 1-day or 4-day pass?

The organiser offers both. One day can fit into a wider Bali trip if you've found particular talks you want to attend. Four days are worth considering when the festival is your reason for visiting and you want time for different sessions. Compare what's included with your own plans, rather than choosing from the ticket name alone.

Your plan	Option to consider	Check before paying
Several talks on one day	A 1-day pass	Exact date, times and session locations
Main programme throughout your stay	A 4-day pass, 22–25 October	Whether other excursions would use days you've paid for
One particular workshop	A separate ticket for that event	Whether it is a Masterclass or Cultural Workshop
A session listed under Special Events	A separate ticket	Admission conditions and the event address

Special Events, Masterclasses and Cultural Workshops aren't included in ordinary festival passes. Check the participant category you're buying and any evidence needed to qualify. The current offer is on the UWRF ticket page. The prices below are for the International category; check availability at your chosen workshop separately.

International pass prices

If you are visiting from abroad and do not qualify for a separate concession category, look for International in the regular price list. On 18 October the organiser lists:

International pass	Price in IDR	Organiser's price in USD
1 day	2,400,000	140
4 days	7,800,000	460

These are amounts from the UWRF ticket page, not our currency conversion. Check the final total before paying: the FAQ says a payment gateway fee may apply. Read the ticket terms too, particularly if your travel plans may change.

The “An Asian Equation” panel at Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2012. This archive photograph shows a conversation at an earlier edition. Photo: Anggara Mahendra / Ubud Writers Festival. An Asian Equation - Panelists (8056079786) · CC BY 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP.

How to choose your day from the programme

The organiser's main programme includes Kiran Desai on 22 October, 10:00–11:00, and Tiffany Tsao on 25 October, 09:00–10:00. These sessions fall at opposite ends of the programme. If you have a particular author in mind, that choice can determine your day in Ubud.

Note each session's title, date, time, venue and ticket type. For consecutive events, compare their addresses: times that don't overlap still might not leave enough time to reach the next room. Check the session language and any interpretation information if you need it. We aren't assigning one language to the entire programme.

Leave a meal break and time to enter before your first talk. Open the programme again on the day: an old screenshot won't show a later change to the time or venue. If two sessions compete for your time, decide which matters more before leaving your accommodation.

Free events beyond the main programme

You do not have to build every stay in Ubud around a full festival pass. The organiser's Free Events list also includes sessions about Bali:

Session	Category	Date and time in the 2026 programme
Bali Today! and Bali Times, Rites, Art & Magic	Book Launch	22 October, 10:45–11:45
Bali’s Storytelling Movement	Festival Club	24 October, 16:00–17:00

This is a selection from the organiser's list, not a separate programme we run. Open the session details before leaving to check the venue, language and any registration requirement. A free-event listing does not reserve a place. If Bali's culture is your main interest, these sessions can help you choose a day before fitting the rest of your stay around it.

Collecting your pass in Sanggingan

The ticket page identifies Taman Baca as the main-programme location. Always check each session's address, particularly for separately ticketed events. The Festival Box Office on Jalan Raya Sanggingan in Ubud issues passes on 19–25 October 2026. Bring identification and proof of purchase, and check opening hours before travelling there. Save the organiser's Festival Box Office map to compare the journey from your accommodation. Organiser's ticket FAQ

For separately ticketed events outside Taman Baca, the FAQ accepts printed or digital purchase confirmation without an additional box-office collection. That isn't a replacement for collecting an ordinary festival pass. The distinction is especially useful if you're coming for just one workshop.

Save your documents offline too. If you're travelling together, check who can access the confirmations and whether the participant details are correct. Sorting this out before leaving is easier than searching through emails at the first session.

Where to stay and when to arrive in Ubud

“Ubud” in a room listing doesn't tell you what your festival morning will involve. Compare the exact address with your session venues and the pass-collection point. If you're considering Penestanan, Sayan or the Campuhan area, check the actual route rather than assuming every property is beside the festival entrance.

For a 1-day pass on 22 October, one possible plan is arrival and collection the day before, your chosen sessions on the day, and onward travel afterwards or the following morning. With a 4-day pass, you could consider arriving on 21 October, attending the main programme on 22–25 October and leaving on 26 October. These are examples to adjust around transport and accommodation conditions.

Before paying for a room, establish late check-in and luggage-storage arrangements. If your flight and first talk are on the same day, allow for arrival formalities, baggage collection and the full transfer. We aren't giving one journey time as suitable for every address and time of day.

Teater Satu Lampung performing at Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2012. This archive image does not confirm that the production appears in the 2026 programme. Photo: Anggara Mahendra / Ubud Writers Festival. Performance by Teater Satu Lampung (8058611637) · CC BY 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP.

What to combine with the festival

Ubud is an inland base. For a shorter break, consider a central walk around Jalan Raya Ubud and Jalan Monkey Forest, followed by a meal. When planning your return to a session, allow for more than the journey itself: you still need to find the entrance and reach the event space.

Treat the Tegallalang rice terraces, Tirta Empul or a longer Bali circuit as a separate part of the stay. Choose an outing after your festival days instead of adding it to the morning before a talk you care about. Check current attraction hours and admission rules separately; festival passes don't cover those visits.

If you're heading farther after Ubud, look at the route through Amed, Tulamben and Sidemen. If Java is also part of your trip after Bali, read the Java guidebook sample. The Volume 1: East Java product page sets out the book’s contents, including Bromo and Ijen. Buy festival tickets separately from the organiser; the Java guide does not cover the UWRF programme.