Lombok Events, Things to Do and Festivals 2014 / 2015

(Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia)

The different religions on the island of Lombok (Buddhist, Islamic and Muslim) each feature their very own set of annual celebrations and festivals. Many of these events tend to take place at the start of the wet season, or in late April or early May, at the time of the harvests. Especially important are the regular Ngolahang Canang Sari events, which are performed at the temples across Lombok by Balinese Hindus.

Other festivals on Lombok relate to national Indonesian holidays, such as the Hari Proklamasi Kemerdekaan (Indonesia Independence Day) on August 17th, and the Idul Fitri (Lebaran), which falls between mid-October and mid-November, and marks the end of the Ramadan fasting. On the Gili Islands, the Ramadan fasting is a major event for locals, although tourists will still find plenty of food available during the daytime.

Lombok Calendar of Festivals and Events 2014 / 2015

Based around Lombok's southern beaches and resorts, the Bau Nyale (Sea Worm Festival) offers lots of things to do, celebrating the arrival of the 'nyales' (eels), which locals believe to bring good fortune. The Bau Nyale Festival generally takes place towards the end of February / early March and sees crowds gathering on the beaches, such as the Seger Beach at Kuta.

In April, the Gendang Beleq Festival of Lombok is a very historic event and features plenty of traditional dancing, drumming and music. Soon after and in June, the Pura Meru is a well-supported Hindu ceremony and takes place at Cakranegara, Mataram. In mid-July, the Senggigi Festival lasts an entire week and is staged to promote tourism on the island, being based around Lombok's north-westerly beach resort and featuring all kinds of performances and local handicrafts.