Destinations known | Bali Fest Australia promised to bring the Indonesian island to Aussies – it didn’t live up to expectations
- Held over the long Easter weekend, the event made some big promises, most of which mentioned the Indonesian beer Bintang
- Attendees quickly took to social media to vent their disappointment, with one saying ‘it was nothing like Bali’
It is no secret that Aussies love Bali. But because of the coronavirus, Australians – along with everyone else – have been denied access to their favourite island since March 2020, when Indonesia’s borders closed to foreign arrivals and Australia pulled down its own shutters. So when an event popped up in Mandurah, Western Australia, “dedicated to bringing Bali and its culture, food, entertainment, shopping and leisure lifestyle to Australia”, there was bound to be some interest.
Planned for the long Easter weekend, from April 2 to 6, Bali Fest Australia made some big promises, most of which mentioned Bintang, apparently the Bali beer of choice for holidaymakers.
“Every year millions of Aussies travel to Bali for a chance to get away and enjoy the sun, sea, sand and a couple of Bintangs. With recent events we have decided to bring Bali to you, so come on down with your friends and family to enjoy a memorable festival of culture,” proclaimed Bali Fest’s website. The Facebook event page for the festival teased, “BIG name Australian Acts, Themed Bar, Bali Markets, Chill Beach, Carnival Rides & Cultural performances … and of course $7.50 BINTANGS.”
Tickets for the event cost A$30 (US$23) per day, with organisers pledging to donate 10 per cent to charities, including the Bali Life Foundation, Bali Peace Park, and Mates in Construction WA. But the inaugural Bali Fest Australia failed to live up to its name (unless you consider that “Bali fest” is an anagram of “best fail”, in which case it seems quite accurate), with visitors quickly taking to social media to vent their disappointment. Think Fyre Festival minus the influencers; should the appearance of a band called Jah Fyre as a headlining act have been taken as a bad omen?
“Can’t believe we drove from Perth [70km] and paid to go to this crap event,” wrote one Facebook user. “Nothing about this represented Bali. I could of brought Bintang from my bottle shop & sat in my backyard under a palm tree and felt more Bali vibes.” Another posted: “The market stalls were average with half of them not even Bali related and the food choices were limited – especially if you wanted Balinese cuisine.”