In short. Nyepi, the Balinese New Year and Day of Silence, falls on Monday 8 March in 2027. From 6:00 on 8 March to 6:00 on 9 March you may not leave the house or travel, make noise or show bright light, and this applies to tourists too. The airport is closed for the same period, ferries stop, taxis, Grab and Gojek do not work, and shops and cafes are closed. Mobile internet is switched off, while calls, SMS and wired Wi-Fi work. Local patrols, the pecalang, keep order, and anyone who goes out will be sent home. Do not book flights for 7–9 March, and buy food and water for two days in advance. Hospitals and the number 112 work.
What Nyepi is. It is the Balinese New Year in the Saka calendar and the main Hindu holiday of the island. In 2027 the Day of Silence falls on Monday 8 March (the date is set by the joint decree of three ministers on the 2027 holidays) and lasts exactly one day: from 6:00 on 8 March to 6:00 on 9 March. We have collected the date and the neighbouring days off in our guide to public holidays.
How the days around the holiday go. A few days before Nyepi comes Melasti, processions to the sea and springs carrying temple sacred objects, and coastal roads can be jammed on those days. The evening before is called Pengerupukan: huge ogoh-ogoh figures are carried through villages, roads are closed and drums play loudly. Then comes the day of silence, and the day after that is Ngembak Geni, when people visit each other and ask forgiveness. All four stages are listed in the joint appeal of the Bali authorities for 2026.
What is banned on the Day of Silence. Hindus observe four prohibitions, called Catur Brata Penyepian: no work, no fire or light, no leaving the house and no entertainment. For everyone else, the rules are set out in the joint appeal, signed every year by the governor of Bali, the police, the military, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and the island's interfaith council. In 2026 it said the following:
- Residents and tourists may not leave the house or travel, set off firecrackers, play loud music or use loudspeakers, make noise or show bright light.
- Land, sea and air transport does not operate from 6:00 to 6:00 the next day. Taxis, Grab and Gojek will not come either.
- Radio and television do not broadcast on that day.
- Hotels and leisure venues may not sell their services under the Nyepi brand.
Village patrols, the pecalang, watch the streets. Anyone who goes out without a reason will be sent home, so it is better to move even to a neighbouring villa in advance. In a hotel, guests stay within its grounds. Draw the curtains in the evening: light from windows can be seen from the street.
Internet and communication. At the request of the authorities, operators switch off mobile internet and internet television (IPTV) for the same day. Calls and SMS work, and so do wired internet and home Wi-Fi, as Diskominfos Bali explained: only what is on the phone is switched off. If your home internet runs only through a mobile router or a SIM card, you will be without it for the day.
Airport and ferries. Ngurah Rai airport is closed to flights for Nyepi for the same period, 6:00 to 6:00. The last departures leave at night the day before, and the first flights after the holiday go in the morning of the next day. Ferries stop too, but they close at different times. In 2026, under the Ministry of Transport schedule, Gilimanuk (the crossing to Java) closed at 5:00 and Padang Bai (to Lombok) at 4:00 on the morning of Nyepi itself. The ports on the other side of the strait, Ketapang in Java and Lembar in Lombok, closed the evening before. Padang Bai reopened only at 11:30 the next day and Gilimanuk at 6:00. If you have a ticket for these dates, ask the airline when your flight has been moved to.
How to prepare.
- Do not book arrivals, departures or ferries for 7 and 8 March and the morning of 9 March 2027. On the evening of 7 March roads are closed for the ogoh-ogoh parades.
- Before the evening of 7 March, buy food and water for two days, fill up your scooter and withdraw cash. On 8 March shops, cafes and delivery are closed.
- Download films, books and maps for offline use. Tell your family you will be without messengers for a day if you have no Wi-Fi at home.
- Keep a torch and thick curtains at hand: bright light is not switched on outdoors that day.
- If your visa or extension deadline falls on these days, sort it out in advance: government offices do not work on the holiday. Application deadlines for extensions for each visa are covered on the BUZZ VISA page.
If something happens. Hospitals and emergency services work on the Day of Silence, 112 takes calls and phone service is not switched off. Ambulance, police and fire numbers are in the guide to emergency numbers, and hospitals with around-the-clock admission are in the list by area.
What this means for you. On 8 March 2027 all of Bali stands still, and tourists too. Do not plan flights for 7–9 March, stock up the day before and check whether you have wired Wi-Fi at home.