For a few days every October, Ubud becomes a meeting place for people who love words.
Writers, readers, journalists, poets, artists and curious minds arrive from around the world for conversations that rarely end when the session does. They continue over coffee, across dinner tables, in bookshops and somewhere along the winding roads home.
The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2026 returns from 21–25 October 2026, with the main Festival programme running from 22–25 October. More than 150 writers, thinkers, journalists, poets and other voices are expected across more than 100 events in and around Ubud.
But if you're travelling to Bali specifically for the Festival, there is another decision worth making early:
Writers, readers, journalists, poets, artists and curious minds arrive from around the world for conversations that rarely end when the session does. They continue over coffee, across dinner tables, in bookshops and somewhere along the winding roads home.
The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2026 returns from 21–25 October 2026, with the main Festival programme running from 22–25 October. More than 150 writers, thinkers, journalists, poets and other voices are expected across more than 100 events in and around Ubud.
But if you're travelling to Bali specifically for the Festival, there is another decision worth making early:
Where should you stay during the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival?
Because four days of panels, conversations, readings and new ideas can be exhilarating.
They can also leave you craving somewhere quiet enough to hear yourself think.
Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2026: The Essentials
The 23rd Ubud Writers & Readers Festival takes place in Ubud, Bali, from 21–25 October 2026, under this year's theme:
Samarasā: Awareness. Empathy. Action.
The main programme runs from Thursday 22 October to Sunday 25 October, with the Opening Gala taking place on Wednesday 21 October.
The Festival returns to Taman Baca on Jalan Raya Sanggingan as its main hub, while events take place at different venues throughout Ubud.
Expect author conversations, panel discussions, poetry, journalism, book launches, performances, workshops, literary lunches and intimate special events - which means your days can become full surprisingly quickly.
If you're planning to attend several days, this is less a quick sightseeing stop and more an immersion into Ubud's creative world.
And that changes what you should look for in a hotel.
They can also leave you craving somewhere quiet enough to hear yourself think.
Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2026: The Essentials
The 23rd Ubud Writers & Readers Festival takes place in Ubud, Bali, from 21–25 October 2026, under this year's theme:
Samarasā: Awareness. Empathy. Action.
The main programme runs from Thursday 22 October to Sunday 25 October, with the Opening Gala taking place on Wednesday 21 October.
The Festival returns to Taman Baca on Jalan Raya Sanggingan as its main hub, while events take place at different venues throughout Ubud.
Expect author conversations, panel discussions, poetry, journalism, book launches, performances, workshops, literary lunches and intimate special events - which means your days can become full surprisingly quickly.
If you're planning to attend several days, this is less a quick sightseeing stop and more an immersion into Ubud's creative world.
And that changes what you should look for in a hotel.
Where Should You Stay for the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival?
There are essentially two ways to experience Festival week.
You can stay in the middle of Ubud, close to the activity.
Or you can spend your days inside it - and choose somewhere completely different to return to afterwards.
For writers, readers and creative travellers, the second option has a particular appeal.
Hanging Gardens of Bali sits deep within the rainforest north of central Ubud, overlooking the Ayung River valley. Instead of stepping out of a Festival session and straight into more noise, you return to jungle, water and space.
It isn't about being removed from the Festival.
It's about having somewhere to absorb it.
You can stay in the middle of Ubud, close to the activity.
Or you can spend your days inside it - and choose somewhere completely different to return to afterwards.
For writers, readers and creative travellers, the second option has a particular appeal.
Hanging Gardens of Bali sits deep within the rainforest north of central Ubud, overlooking the Ayung River valley. Instead of stepping out of a Festival session and straight into more noise, you return to jungle, water and space.
It isn't about being removed from the Festival.
It's about having somewhere to absorb it.
A Different Kind of Writers' Retreat
There is something slightly dangerous about attending a writers' festival.
You arrive planning to listen.
Then somebody says something that makes you want to write.
A sentence appears. An idea starts forming. You buy three books you hadn't planned on buying. A conversation stays with you long after everyone has left the room.
And suddenly you need somewhere to put all of it.
At Hanging Gardens of Bali, that somewhere might be the terrace of your private pool villa in the early morning, with the rainforest stretching in front of you.
It might be beside the pool with a book.
It might be over coffee before returning to Ubud.
Or it might simply be an hour with nothing scheduled at all.
For anyone coming to the Festival because they genuinely love writing, reading and ideas, that space can become one of the most memorable parts of the trip.
You arrive planning to listen.
Then somebody says something that makes you want to write.
A sentence appears. An idea starts forming. You buy three books you hadn't planned on buying. A conversation stays with you long after everyone has left the room.
And suddenly you need somewhere to put all of it.
At Hanging Gardens of Bali, that somewhere might be the terrace of your private pool villa in the early morning, with the rainforest stretching in front of you.
It might be beside the pool with a book.
It might be over coffee before returning to Ubud.
Or it might simply be an hour with nothing scheduled at all.
For anyone coming to the Festival because they genuinely love writing, reading and ideas, that space can become one of the most memorable parts of the trip.
Festival by Day. Rainforest by Night.
The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival is wonderfully social.
That is precisely why returning somewhere quiet feels so good.
After a day of listening, questioning, meeting people and moving between sessions, Hanging Gardens offers almost the opposite environment.
Private villas disappear into the surrounding rainforest, each with its own heated infinity pool. At the centre of the resort is the iconic two-tiered infinity pool overlooking the jungle, while below, the Ayung River moves through the valley.
There is no pressure to find another thing to do.
Swim.
Read.
Order something.
Write down the thought you didn't want to forget.
Or do absolutely nothing.
Tomorrow, the conversations begin again.
That is precisely why returning somewhere quiet feels so good.
After a day of listening, questioning, meeting people and moving between sessions, Hanging Gardens offers almost the opposite environment.
Private villas disappear into the surrounding rainforest, each with its own heated infinity pool. At the centre of the resort is the iconic two-tiered infinity pool overlooking the jungle, while below, the Ayung River moves through the valley.
There is no pressure to find another thing to do.
Swim.
Read.
Order something.
Write down the thought you didn't want to forget.
Or do absolutely nothing.
Tomorrow, the conversations begin again.
For Writers Who Actually Want Time to Write
You don't have to be appearing on a Festival stage to arrive in Ubud with a notebook.
If you've been trying to finish a chapter, start something new, work through an idea or simply return to writing after too much time away from it, consider giving yourself more than the Festival itself.
Arrive a little earlier.
Stay a little later.
The days immediately surrounding a literary festival can be unexpectedly valuable. You're already thinking differently. You've stepped away from your normal routine. You're surrounded by people making, questioning and discussing things.
Protect some of that time.
A private villa overlooking the rainforest is a very different writing desk from the one waiting for you at home.
If you've been trying to finish a chapter, start something new, work through an idea or simply return to writing after too much time away from it, consider giving yourself more than the Festival itself.
Arrive a little earlier.
Stay a little later.
The days immediately surrounding a literary festival can be unexpectedly valuable. You're already thinking differently. You've stepped away from your normal routine. You're surrounded by people making, questioning and discussing things.
Protect some of that time.
A private villa overlooking the rainforest is a very different writing desk from the one waiting for you at home.
When Your Brain Has Had Enough Words
Even people who adore books eventually reach saturation point.
This is where choosing a resort rather than simply a room in town begins to make sense.
Hanging Gardens' Spa by the River sits beside the Ayung River beneath the jungle canopy, with treatments inspired by Balinese healing traditions.
There are also opportunities for yoga, quiet walks and unhurried time in nature.
After several consecutive days of sitting in audiences and absorbing other people's thoughts, doing something that requires absolutely no intellectual response can feel rather wonderful.
Consider it punctuation.
This is where choosing a resort rather than simply a room in town begins to make sense.
Hanging Gardens' Spa by the River sits beside the Ayung River beneath the jungle canopy, with treatments inspired by Balinese healing traditions.
There are also opportunities for yoga, quiet walks and unhurried time in nature.
After several consecutive days of sitting in audiences and absorbing other people's thoughts, doing something that requires absolutely no intellectual response can feel rather wonderful.
Consider it punctuation.
Make the Festival Part of a Longer Ubud Escape
One of the easiest mistakes to make is flying to Bali, packing every Festival day from morning until evening and leaving immediately afterwards.
If you have the time, don't.
Ubud is particularly suited to travellers who enjoy culture slowly - temples, craft, food, landscape, art, ritual and the kind of mornings where breakfast accidentally lasts two hours.
And for Festival visitors, there is a practical reason to stay longer too.
Hanging Gardens of Bali currently offers a Stay 5 Nights, Pay for 4 experience, making a five-night stay particularly well matched to Festival week.
The offer includes daily breakfast for two, afternoon tea, sunset yoga and scheduled resort shuttle service to Ubud, subject to the property's booking terms and availability.
That gives you enough time to experience the Festival without making the Festival your entire experience of Bali.
If you have the time, don't.
Ubud is particularly suited to travellers who enjoy culture slowly - temples, craft, food, landscape, art, ritual and the kind of mornings where breakfast accidentally lasts two hours.
And for Festival visitors, there is a practical reason to stay longer too.
Hanging Gardens of Bali currently offers a Stay 5 Nights, Pay for 4 experience, making a five-night stay particularly well matched to Festival week.
The offer includes daily breakfast for two, afternoon tea, sunset yoga and scheduled resort shuttle service to Ubud, subject to the property's booking terms and availability.
That gives you enough time to experience the Festival without making the Festival your entire experience of Bali.
A Suggested Ubud Writers Festival Stay
If you're travelling primarily for the Festival, give yourself room around it.
20 or 21 October: Arrive in Ubud. Check in, unpack, sleep properly and let Bali slow you down before the programme begins.
21 October: Enjoy the day at an easy pace before the Festival's opening events.
22–25 October: Festival days. Choose the sessions that genuinely interest you rather than attempting to attend everything. Return to the rainforest when you're finished.
26 October: Don't schedule much. Sleep in. Have breakfast slowly. Read whatever you bought during the Festival. Book a spa treatment. Swim. Write.
You came all the way to Ubud.
Leave some time to actually be here.
20 or 21 October: Arrive in Ubud. Check in, unpack, sleep properly and let Bali slow you down before the programme begins.
21 October: Enjoy the day at an easy pace before the Festival's opening events.
22–25 October: Festival days. Choose the sessions that genuinely interest you rather than attempting to attend everything. Return to the rainforest when you're finished.
26 October: Don't schedule much. Sleep in. Have breakfast slowly. Read whatever you bought during the Festival. Book a spa treatment. Swim. Write.
You came all the way to Ubud.
Leave some time to actually be here.
What to Pack for the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival
The obvious answer is comfortable clothing, something light for Bali's tropical weather, and a bag capable of accommodating the books you swore you weren't going to buy.
The less obvious answer?
Bring a notebook.
Even if you haven't written by hand in years.
Bring the unfinished book you've been meaning to read.
Leave a little space in your suitcase.
And perhaps leave a little space in your itinerary too.
The best Festival moments are not necessarily the ones you planned.
The less obvious answer?
Bring a notebook.
Even if you haven't written by hand in years.
Bring the unfinished book you've been meaning to read.
Leave a little space in your suitcase.
And perhaps leave a little space in your itinerary too.
The best Festival moments are not necessarily the ones you planned.
Is Hanging Gardens of Bali Right for Your Festival Stay?
If your priority is walking out of your hotel and immediately being in the middle of the Festival, you may prefer to stay in central Ubud.
But if you're looking for something else - privacy, nature, luxury, space to read and think, and a genuine retreat after busy Festival days - Hanging Gardens offers a very different way to experience the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival.
You can spend the day listening to some of the world's most interesting voices.
Then return somewhere quiet enough to find your own.
Make the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival part of your Bali story, not the entirety of it.
Stay a little longer. Read a little slower. And give the ideas you collect in Ubud somewhere beautiful to land.
Book your stay here.
But if you're looking for something else - privacy, nature, luxury, space to read and think, and a genuine retreat after busy Festival days - Hanging Gardens offers a very different way to experience the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival.
You can spend the day listening to some of the world's most interesting voices.
Then return somewhere quiet enough to find your own.
Make the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival part of your Bali story, not the entirety of it.
Stay a little longer. Read a little slower. And give the ideas you collect in Ubud somewhere beautiful to land.
Book your stay here.
Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2026 F.A.Q.
When is the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2026?
The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2026 takes place from 21–25 October 2026 in Ubud, Bali. The main four-day Festival programme runs from 22–25 October 2026, following opening events on 21 October.
Where is the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2026 held?
The main hub for the 2026 Ubud Writers & Readers Festival is Taman Baca on Jalan Raya Sanggingan, Ubud, with additional Festival events, dinners, launches, workshops and special programmes taking place at venues around Ubud.
What happens at the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival?
The Festival brings together writers, readers, journalists, poets, artists and thinkers for author talks, panel discussions, conversations, book launches, workshops, cultural events, performances, literary lunches and special events. The 2026 programme features more than 100 events and over 150 voices from Indonesia and around the world.
What is the theme of the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2026?
The 2026 theme is “Samarasā: Awareness. Empathy. Action.” It explores the relationship between thought, feeling and action and provides the framework for many conversations throughout the Festival.
Where should I stay for the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2026?
Central Ubud suits travellers who prioritise proximity to the main Festival venues. Visitors seeking rainforest surroundings, privacy and a peaceful luxury retreat after busy Festival days can stay at Hanging Gardens of Bali in Payangan, north of central Ubud.
Is Hanging Gardens of Bali a good hotel for the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival?
Hanging Gardens of Bali is particularly suited to Festival visitors who value privacy, nature, quiet and luxury. The resort overlooks the Ayung River Valley and offers private pool villas, an iconic infinity pool, spa experiences and scheduled shuttle service to Ubud.
Does Hanging Gardens of Bali provide transport to Ubud?
Hanging Gardens of Bali offers scheduled resort shuttle service to Ubud with selected stays and offers. Festival guests should confirm the current timetable and arrange additional transportation where necessary around their individual Festival schedule.
How many days should I stay in Ubud for the Writers Festival?
For the full Festival experience, consider staying at least five nights in Ubud, allowing time for the main programme from 22–25 October without arriving or departing in the middle of the Festival. Travellers wanting additional time for writing, wellness or exploring Ubud may prefer six or seven nights.
Should I book my Ubud hotel early for the Writers Festival?
Yes. The Festival brings visitors to Ubud for a concentrated period in October, so travellers who know their dates should consider arranging accommodation early, particularly when seeking luxury resorts, private pool villas or longer stays.
Are there one-day tickets for the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2026?
Yes. The 2026 Festival offers four-day Festival passes and one-day passes. Some Special Events, Masterclasses and Cultural Workshops require separate tickets.
Can I combine the Ubud Writers Festival with a writing retreat in Bali?
Yes. Ubud is particularly well suited to combining the Festival with personal writing time. Arriving before the Festival or extending your stay afterwards creates quieter days for reading, drafting and reflection.
Where can writers stay for a quiet retreat in Ubud?
Writers seeking a quiet luxury retreat near Ubud can consider the rainforest surrounding Payangan. Hanging Gardens of Bali's private pool villas overlook the jungle and Ayung River Valley, providing a secluded environment for reading, writing and unwinding.
What can I do in Ubud after the Writers Festival?
After the Festival, visitors can slow down with spa treatments, yoga, Balinese cultural experiences, nature walks, reading, writing and exploring Ubud's surrounding villages and landscapes.
Is October a good time to visit Ubud, Bali?
October is a popular time for cultural travel to Ubud, particularly around the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival. Visitors should expect tropical conditions and plan for both sunshine and rain while allowing extra travel time during busy Festival periods.
What is the best luxury hotel for writers visiting Ubud?
Writers who value silence, privacy, rainforest views and space to think may prefer a secluded luxury property. Hanging Gardens of Bali combines private pool villas, jungle surroundings, wellness experiences and access to Ubud, making it particularly suited to travellers who want their accommodation to become part of their creative retreat.
Can non-hotel guests visit Hanging Gardens of Bali during the Ubud Writers Festival?
Experiences for outside guests can vary according to availability and resort policy. Festival visitors staying elsewhere should contact Hanging Gardens of Bali directly before visiting to confirm current dining, spa or day-visit options.
What is the best way to experience the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival?
Choose the writers and conversations that genuinely interest you rather than trying to attend everything. Leave room for unexpected discoveries and time between sessions to read, talk and reflect. Staying somewhere peaceful can provide a welcome contrast to the Festival's busy programme.