Kecak Dance at Uluwatu Temple: Read This Before You Go!

Kecak is a famous Balinese dance known for its dramatic choreography, rhythmic chanting, and use of fire. It’s performed in several locations around Bali, but the most popular is definitely the nightly shows at Uluwatu Temple's clifftop amphitheatre.

With thousands of visitors watching this show every day, the experience can be a little stressful and challenging to navigate. In this post, we'll talk you through our own experience, including the one BIG mistake we made, so you can enjoy a more hassle-free experience!

Is the Kecak Dance at Uluwatu Temple Worth Seeing? Our Experience...

The Kecak Fire Dance at Uluwatu Temple is one of the most famous cultural performances in Bali. And for good reason. It's an amazing spectacle, with hypnotic chanting, beautiful costumes, and dramatic fire elements. Plus, the clifftop setting at sunset really makes it an unforgettable experience.

However, while the show itself is certainly worth seeing, we found the whole experience of arriving at the temple and purchasing tickets quite stressful.

The Kecak show at Uluwatu Temple runs twice a day at 6pm & 7pm. Before our visit, we’d read reviews recommending the earlier show and lining up early to get the best seats. But even after arriving at 5pm (which we thought was early), tickets for the first show had already sold out.

We waited at the temple for the later show and still had a great experience. We still got to watch the sun set over the ocean, and the fire looked even better after dark! At show time, we didn't rush to get inside and still had good seats mid-way up. The amphitheatre is designed so that every seat has a direct view.

For a more hassle-free visit than we had, we'd strongly recommend buying tickets online at least a couple of days in advance.

Before the show, it’s worth allowing a little time to wander around Uluwatu Temple, which sits beautifully on the clifftop overlooking the ocean. 30 minutes is more than enough time to explore. We had far too much time just waiting around.

Keep in mind that Kecak shows are predominantly a form of entertainment for tourists. But it does have roots in an ancient Balinese ritual where dancers fall into a trance to repel evil spirits. Authentic or not, the show is still easy-watching entertainment in a beautiful venue for a good price.

Which Kecak Performance is Best?

There are now two Kecak performances every evening at Uluwatu Temple. The first show is at 6pm, and the other at 7pm.

The shows themselves are exactly the same. The 6pm show just has a better sunset backdrop, especially during the dry season when the sun sets earlier. The 7pm show benefits from a more impressive fire show with it being darker already.

The first show is usually much busier, with tickets selling out most nights. We attended the latter one and still thought it was a great experience!

Don't stress too much about which show you see. We recommend choosing whichever fits best with your itinerary. But if you do want to attend the first one, definitely buy tickets in advance.

Getting Your Kecak Show Ticket

Tickets for the Kecak show at Uluwatu Temple are available to purchase online up to one day before the show and at the ticket counter inside the temple on the day of the show.

The tickets are the same price online and in-person.

Online Advance Tickets

We strongly recommend buying your tickets for the Uluwatu Temple Kecak dance online at least a few days in advance.

Buying in advance will guarantee you the show time you want. It also means you won't have to turn up super early to get tickets on the day. All online tickets allow you to skip the main ticket line to redeem your voucher and head straight inside.

Purchasing Tickets On the Day

You can still purchase tickets at the temple on the day of the show. Ticket sales officially start at 5pm, but in our experience, they actually begin around 4.30pm.

The booth to purchase tickets for the Kecak dance is inside the temple, after the entrance, so you'll need to have already purchased your temple ticket.

Tickets for the 6pm show WILL sell out, so you need to get in line early if you’re aiming for this one. We asked a staff member just how early you have to arrive to guarantee 6pm show tickets, and he recommended getting in line around 3pm!

Don't make the same mistake we did! We didn’t have this information beforehand, so we arrived at 5pm hoping to see the 6pm show, but it had already sold out. So we had to wait around for a couple of hours until the 7pm show.

The 7pm show doesn’t usually sell out, but it’s not unheard of. On the day we visited, quite a few seats were left for the later show, with tickets still being sold right up until the start time. But there's no harm in arriving a little early to guarantee a ticket - you can use this extra time to explore the temple.

Both the temple entrance ticket and Kecak show tickets are cash-only, so make sure you have enough. There’s a new ATM just outside the temple if you need to use it before entering.

What if it Rains?

The Kecak show is entirely outdoors, but the show will go on regardless of the weather, even in storms or heavy rain.

If it does rain, the venue does provide complimentary jackets and umbrellas for the audience. Regardless of how you purchased your ticket, they are non-refundable.

Unfortunately, the fire aspect of the show will unlikely go ahead when it's raining.

Arriving At Uluwatu Temple

There's a large parking area at Uluwatu Temple that's suitable for scooters, cars, and buses. There's currently no parking charge.

Before entering the temple, you also need to purchase a temple entrance ticket. This is in addition to the Kecak show ticket.

This is cash-only, but there is a new ATM outside the temple.

The entrance ticket included free use of a sarong and sash, which were provided at the entrance.

Once we purchased our temple entrance ticket, we could head inside and follow the signs towards the separate Kecak show ticket counter. This is where we had to get in line again to buy an in-person ticket (or where you redeem your online ticket).

We’re unsure of the official rules, but we were allowed to leave the temple and re-enter again later using the same ticket. This allowed us to get something to eat and drink from the warungs in the parking area while we waited for the second show.

Is There a Dress Code?

The show takes place within the grounds of a temple, so remember to dress respectfully – as a minimum, knees and shoulders should be covered. This applies to men and women.

If your clothing doesn’t cover your knees, you can borrow a sarong at the entrance, which is included in your ticket price.

You’re also provided with a sash that goes around your waist – everyone is supposed to wear these, although this isn’t made clear, so we spotted many people without them.

Important: Watch Out For the Monkeys!

We can’t emphasise enough how much you need to be aware of the monkeys at Uluwatu Temple. They may look cute, but they're actually extremely mischievous.

The Uluwatu Temple monkeys are notorious for trying to steal anything they can get their hands on. During our visit, we saw them steal several pairs of glasses and a mobile phone. We even saw one open a woman's bag and steal a power bank from inside it, which she did not get back!

Here are some tips to avoid having things stolen by the monkeys:

• Take as little as possible into the temple and keep everything in a securely closed bag. Items left loose are at the most risk of being stolen.
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• Don’t take any food or drink inside, this will only draw the monkeys to you.
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• When you're not wearing glasses or sunglasses on your eyes, put them away - don’t leave them on your head or hanging on your t-shirt.
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• Avoid bringing a stroller or pram into the temple, especially with loose items in it. Have toddlers in a carrier instead.
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• Don’t leave anything loose on your scooter. The monkeys sometimes roam the parking area too.

What To Expect From the Kecak Dance at Uluwatu Temple

The Kecak dance lasts just under an hour and tells the main story from the Hindu epic, Ramayana. We’re not quite up to speed with our Hindu epics, but luckily, they provide an information sheet in English that explains what’s happening throughout each of the five acts.

The show is performed by a huge chorus of 50ish men who chant “cak-cak-cak” throughout, with a fiery climax. The story focuses on Prince Rama’s quest to rescue his wife Sita from the evil king Ravana, with the help of his allies, including his brother Lakshmana and the monkey god Hanuman.

The performance is held in a huge purpose-built open-air amphitheatre that can hold up to 1,400 people. Some ‘enthusiastic’ people might rush to get in first, but all seats have a perfectly good view of the show, so don’t worry about people pushing past. We were sat halfway up and could see fine.

It’s called a Kecak Fire and Dance Show, but there isn't actually that much fire. It's not until the final act that many bamboo torches are lit and fire is thrown around the arena. Avoid sitting in the front rows if you don’t want to be too close.

Unfortunately, during our visit, some people started to leave the show before it was finished (some up to 10 minutes early), which was very distracting to those of us still watching. We've heard others had this same experience, so we hope they do something to prevent this in the future.