It feels like we are in the middle of festival week here in Bali. I don’t know, there is something in the air. Again.
I’ve seen people dressed in their festival gear all over town during the day and night all this week. While cruising along the By-Pass on bikes, walking the streets of Canggu, and there must be a lot seen in the Uluwatu area. They’re all over the island. They are festival goers!
Day Zero has arrived in town for the first time ever and it appears to have taken the place by storm, which is kind of a surprise considering how the world is right now. The festival is reaching a peak tonight, Friday night, at GWK, after already having big shows at Ulu Cliffhouse, Desa Kitsune and Savaya this week. Wellness was also a big part of it at Istana Uluwatu.
You can never be too sure, but I think it’s going to be super busy tonight.
I haven’t been to a GWK show in so long, I can’t even remember the last time, but I am soooo ready! The bill is really quite incredible with some of the biggest DJ producers ever to be lined up in the one venue all night long and it’s all happening tonight. Tickets are still available.
I see the latest Best Clubs of the World readers poll results from DJ Mag have just been published. Who is the winner? As we well know, Award nights are a great excuse to have a big party and night out – ala The Beat Awards, the last occasion in 2018, but I don’t think they do hold a party at all. Everyone knows the whole thing is kinda fixed and manipulated among all the main players and clubs, getting their friends and customers to fill in the form, vote for the club and take the prize. But the venues like it and apparently some people do, so let’s announce the winners right here and now – well, the local Bali winners, anyway.
Savaya (5), Atlas Super Club (42) and ShiShi (47)
Some are up and some are down. But in all, they are all great venues and let’s hope these awards help to get even more people through door. I wonder why Finns isn’t on the list. Anyway, let’s get on to more things.
Last week, I was invited to Hyatt Regency in Sanur for the press con for the next Role Foundation event, ROW FOR R.O.L.E. 5.
It’s always good to have an excuse to get over to Sanur – a place close to my heart. You can read about the Row For Role event here, and I think all able bodied men and women should get behind it and jump in the canoe next Saturday April 25 to help out the underprivileged where they can.
However, an invite to Sanur also gives one an excuse to have a look around.
So, I called one of my old buddies from over that way and we hooked up first to watch the footy, as you do, and then to do a little bar hopping. I was very much impressed with how clean and organised everything is in the streets of Sanur nowadays. The roads are immaculate, which is probably connected to the uber modern Icon Mall opening a year or so ago. The shop fronts, restaurants and resort entrances are all next level. Amazing stuff, but fortunately the old bars that Sanur has been famous for so many decades are still there, looking pretty much the same as ever and really, in some parts, as much down and dirty as they always were. Gotta love that. As they try to buff and shine everything into a squeaky clean state it is gratifying that some old Bali style still exists – and we would hate to lose it. We had a fine, old time and I bet you would too.
Photos Above: Attending the press launch of Row For Role 5 at Hyatt Regency and always honoured to be part of it. Later investigations of the old part of Sanur.
More. Last Saturday night I had to pull myself together and head to Kuta – another place I greatly admire. This occasion at Waterbom Bali (feature picture above) was a special show featuring a couple of founding fathers of Hip Hop from the US, DJ Spinna & Kool DJ Red Alert. Tbh, when I walked in it sounded like every other hip hop show I had ever been to, but we were in the presence of hip hop royalty and the occasion was not lost on me, nor anyone else. It is a beautiful, outdoor setting and it was a very enjoyable evening, with a stack of old friends I hadn’t seen for ages there. It was such a good time and you really can’t beat the surroundings. I heard Waterbom will be expanding again into the now vacant, DJ Cafe space next door. I can only imagine how awesome that will be. Take care friends, talk soon.
Photos Above: Saturday evening fun times were had in Kuta with the appropriately named Waterbom & Friends event.
Have a good weekend you all!
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Highlights in the Bali nightlife this week? There are always plenty of parties and shows on around the island…. Bali never ceases to amaze! Check out all the events, both featured and regular, on thebeatbali.com/bali-events.
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