17 August 2026 marks 81 years since Indonesia declared independence. It falls on a Monday this year, and the government has set the anniversary theme as Indonesia Berdaulat, Adil, dan Makmur, meaning a sovereign, fair, and prosperous Indonesia.
For anyone in Bali that week, the day is visible long before it arrives. Red and white appear on gateways, fences, and shopfronts throughout the first half of August, and by the middle of the month, most neighbourhoods have finished their decorations.
The Proclamation and the Ceremony
The proclamation was read by Indonesia’s first president Soekarno and its Vice President Mohammad Hatta in Jakarta on the morning of 17 August 1945, days after the Japanese surrender ended the occupation. Dutch recognition of Indonesian sovereignty followed four years later, at the end of 1949.
The anniversary is marked by upacara bendera, a flag-raising ceremony held at schools, offices and government buildings across the country. The national ceremony takes place at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, where the Detik-Detik Proklamasi observance marks the moment the proclamation was read, followed later in the afternoon by a ceremony lowering the flag.
This year’s official emblem was chosen differently from previous years. The government put a shortlist to a public vote, and the winning design by Fajar Novario drew close to 45% of nearly 69,000 votes cast. It was launched at the end of June, which is when the run-up to the anniversary formally began.
The Competitions
The part of the day most visitors notice is not the ceremony but what follows it. Neighbourhoods organise lomba tujuh belasan, a set of community competitions held in streets, fields and courtyards through the afternoon.
The events are deliberately unserious. Balap karung is a sack race. Makan kerupuk has crackers hung from a line at head height, to be eaten with hands behind the back. Tarik tambang is a tug-of-war between neighbouring streets. Bakiak pairs teams onto long wooden sandals that move only when everyone steps together. Panjat pinang sends teams up a greased pole toward prizes tied at the top, a feat that usually requires many failed attempts and a good deal of shouting.
Children compete in the morning and adults later. The point is participation rather than winning, and the whole thing is loud, communal and open to anyone standing nearby.
The evening before, many communities hold malam tirakatan, a quieter gathering with speeches and shared food. It sets a reflective tone ahead of a boisterous day.
The Day in Bali
Bali observes the anniversary in the same way as the rest of Indonesia, with ceremonies in the morning and competitions through the afternoon. Around Ubud, the banjar community halls host most of the activity, and roads through the villages are busier than usual while events are underway.
By late afternoon, the competitions wind down, and the streets begin to empty. The second half of the day is quieter. Households that have spent it in a crowd, on a schedule set by the neighbourhood, tend to close it with their own people around one table.
A Table After the Ceremonies
That change of pace is worth planning around. A day spent outdoors in August ends with an appetite for somewhere cool and unhurried, and for a meal that nobody in the family has to organise.
Apéritif serves lunch and dinner as usual on 17 August. The detail worth knowing early is that the restaurant does not accept walk-ins for either service, and lunch needs to be booked a day in advance.
Lunch runs from 12 pm to 2 pm and requires 24 hours’ notice. Dinner runs from 6 pm to 8.30 pm. The main dining room seats 60, and on a public holiday it fills earlier than usual, so a few days’ notice is sensible. Vegetarian and vegan menus need the same 24 hours, and most allergies and dietary requirements can be accommodated when the kitchen is told in advance.
The dress code is smart-to-formal, with no sportswear or beachwear. The dining room is fully air conditioned, which matters after a day spent outdoors in August.
Guided by the Moon Degustation
Apéritif serves one degustation menu, Guided by the Moon, structured on the phases of the lunar cycle and available in seven-course and five-course formats.
It opens with cocktails and canapés at the New Moon, then moves through tuna with pindang sauce, the heirloom tomato with goat cheese and kombucha, and Madura blue crab in a risotto built on pumpkin and kemangi. At the Fading Moon, the table chooses between beef cheek in the style of Coto Makassar and the day’s line-caught fish. The menu closes with rice, chocolate and mignardises.
Supplements can be added to either format, including Venison Wellington with foie gras and rendang, Kagoshima A5 Wagyu, and a cheese platter. Menus change with the seasons, so it is worth asking what is currently being served when booking.
Tables for Families and Groups
The Private Dining Room seats up to 10 guests around a long table and is held for the group across the sitting. It carries a minimum spend and is arranged through the reservations team rather than booked online, and it suits a family gathering better than the main dining room does.
The room is arranged for groups rather than couples. Two people celebrating the day together are better served by the Romantic Candlelight Dinner, available at Apéritif in seven-course and five-course formats.
Planning the Day
Apéritif Restaurant is located within Viceroy Bali, above the Valley of the Kings, and roughly 10 to 15 minutes from central Ubud. Allow extra time on the day itself, as village roads carry more traffic than usual during competitions.
Reservations and enquiries for the Private Dining Room can be made at aperitif.com or by email at res@aperitif.com.
