BADUNG, Bali — Foreign tourists joined the celebrations for Indonesia’s 81st Independence Day at Legian Beach in Badung, Bali, on Monday (Aug. 17, 2026), taking part in a series of traditional games alongside members of the local community.
The late-afternoon event featured familiar August 17 competitions, including cracker eating, sack racing, marble racing and tug-of-war. Some tourists also brought their children to join the games.
The event was organized by the Bali Friendship Community and was open to anyone who wanted to take part.
For Jessica, a tourist from the Netherlands, the celebration was a new experience. She has been traveling to Indonesia since 2015 but had never before taken part in an Independence Day celebration.
“I have been traveling to Indonesia since 2015, but this is the first time I have participated in an Indonesian Independence Day celebration,” Jessica said at Legian Beach.
Jessica joined the games and particularly enjoyed the tug-of-war. Her team lost, but she said she had no complaints.
“The other team was very strong, so it was quite difficult. Other than that, there were no real difficulties. I was just having fun,” she said.
She said tug-of-war was her favorite because it required participants to work together as a team.
“I think it’s still tug-of-war because it’s done together as a team, and I really enjoy that. Supporting each other as a team and trying to win together,” Jessica said.
Francesca, a tourist from the United Kingdom who works as an English teacher in Bali, also took part in the celebration.
She said joining the games was a good way to learn more about Indonesia’s history and culture, while also meeting new people.
“I think this is a wonderful way to learn more about the history and culture of Indonesia. It’s also really nice to celebrate here with friends and new friends at the beach today,” Francesca said.
Francesca took part in the cracker-eating contest, sack race and tug-of-war. Of the three, she had a clear favorite.
“Maybe my favorite is the cracker-eating game because I like crackers,” she said with a laugh.
It was Francesca’s first time joining an Indonesian Independence Day celebration. She said the experience was different from what she was used to in the United Kingdom.
“In my country, we don’t celebrate Independence Day,” she said.
Bringing the Celebration to the Beach
Peter James, an organizer and member of the Bali Friendship Community, said the games were held at the beach so that both community members and the general public could join.
Legian Beach was chosen as the venue because it is a popular destination for international tourists, making it easy for foreign visitors to take part.
Peter said the event also gave tourists an opportunity to experience the spirit of togetherness and gotong royong, or mutual cooperation, that is associated with Indonesian community life.
“Foreign friends and our members were happy to join and understand that the culture of togetherness and gotong royong is still alive in Indonesia,” Peter said.
Winners of the games received kerupuk, a popular Indonesian snack, as prizes.
Peter said the simple prizes were also intended to introduce foreign participants to kerupuk and give them a taste of a familiar part of Indonesian food culture.
For the tourists who took part, the celebration offered a chance to experience Indonesia beyond its beaches and tourist attractions — by joining in a local tradition and celebrating alongside the community.
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