Kecak Fire Dance at Uluwatu Temple

Every evening, as the sun drops towards the Indian Ocean, an open-air amphitheatre beside Pura Luhur Uluwatu fills for one of Bali’s most memorable performances. The Kecak – sometimes called the monkey chant – is performed by a large circle of bare-chested men whose rhythmic “cak-cak-cak” chorus replaces a gamelan orchestra entirely.

The temple itself is one of Bali’s six key directional temples (sad kahyangan), perched on a cliff about 70 metres above the surf at the south-western tip of the Bukit Peninsula. Watching the dance with that backdrop turning orange is the reason the show is so popular.

About the event

Kecak developed in the 1930s from the trance chants of the sanghyang ritual, shaped into a theatrical form with input from Balinese dancer Wayan Limbak and German artist Walter Spies. At Uluwatu it tells episodes from the Ramayana: the abduction of Sita, Rama’s search and the monkey general Hanuman’s exploits. The finale sees Hanuman surrounded by flames in a dramatic fire scene.

Line-up / programme

• Show time: 18:00–19:00 daily; gates open around 16:00
• Duration: about one hour, no interval
• Tickets: IDR 150,000 adults, IDR 75,000 children aged 2–9 (dance only)
• Temple entry: charged separately at the temple gate (listed at IDR 60,000 adults / IDR 40,000 children for international visitors in 2026; check at the gate). Parking is extra.

Venue

The amphitheatre sits on the clifftop just south of the temple, with tiered seating facing the stage and ocean. Sarongs and sashes are provided at the temple entrance. Long-tailed macaques live in the temple forest and are notorious for grabbing sunglasses, hats and phones.

Before you go

• Arrive by 17:00 – seats are unreserved and the best rows go early, especially in high season.
• Secure your belongings from the monkeys; keep bags zipped and glasses away.
• Bring cash for the temple entrance and parking.
• Plan the exit: traffic out of the temple car park is slow after the show; pre-arrange your driver.

Combine it with

Make an afternoon of it by walking the clifftop paths around the temple before the show – the views north and south along the limestone cliffs are spectacular, and the inner sanctum itself is reserved for worshippers, so the paths are where visitors spend their time. Earlier in the day you could surf or swim at Padang Padang or Bingin, or watch the surfers from one of the clifftop bars near the Uluwatu break. After the performance, Jimbaran Bay’s seafood grills are about 30 minutes’ drive away and make a classic dinner stop. Seating is on stone steps, so a small cushion or sarong to sit on makes the hour more comfortable, and a bottle of water is welcome on hot evenings.