In Bali, kite flying is more than just a frivolous way to pass the time on a windy day; it is a competitive sport, a public spectacle, a source of shared pride for the banjar (local community). After months of design preparations and hours of practice, participants from all over Bali, Jakarta, Australia and even Sweden were finally able to show the product of their efforts at the Annual Bali Kite Festival.
Thousands of people gathered at Sanur’s Mertasari Beach on the 23rd and 24th of August to watch a total of 1,700 traditional kites launch and soar in the sky. Some were shaped like temples and cars, some billowed as long as 25 meters in length, while others danced and dipped like fighter jets, all to the rhythm of the Balinese gamelan orchestra.
Check out a few of the images we were able to capture from this year’s ‘uplifting’ kite festival:
