The 38th "Bali Inte ational Grand Cultural Arts Festival" kicked off on June 11 in Bali in Denpasar, with President Joko Widodo participating in a street parade along with thousands of artists. The parade took place in Renon, Denpasar, where all participants surrounded the Bajra Sandi Monument, which is built in the shape of a giant sacred bell - Genta. Participants came from all over the archipelago, including Jakarta, East Java, East Nusa Tenggara, Kalimantan, West Java, Central Java and Yogyakarta.
Over 300 performances pla
ed on traditional and contemporary arts themes. About 15,000 artists will take part in the month-long cultural festival, with events scheduled until July 11. In 1979, Gove or Ida Bagus Mantra decided that local gove ment should provide space to promote local cultures to develop Indonesia's cultural scene.