Megibung, also called mekembulan, is a Balinese tradition of eating together from Karangasem in east Bali. Small groups sit on the ground and share one mound of rice and side dishes, following rules rooted in Balinese adat custom and Hindu faith.

Where does megibung come from?

Megibung comes from Karangasem. Accounts of its origin differ. One version, recorded by Karangasem's culture and tourism office, links it to the kingdom of Karangasem during its war with Lombok, when group meals were used to count the troops.

How many people eat together at a megibung?

Guests are seated in groups called a sela, each of eight people, with the eldest at the north end leading the group and serving the side dishes.

What are the rules of megibung?

Wait for the host's signal to start, never return food from your mouth to the shared rice, don't talk loudly, and don't leave until a representative of the host family says the meal is over.

Where can I try megibung in Bali in 2026?

Bali Good Food Month lists a megibung dinner at Art Cafe Bumbu Bali in Nusa Dua with Bali Asli on 25 October (6pm to 10pm), a megibung feast at Bali Asli in Karangasem on 3 November (9.30am to 2pm) and a megibung cooking class at Art Cafe Bumbu Bali on 12 November (8am to 2pm).

What Is Megibung? Bali's Shared Feast, Explained

Megibung is Bali's shared feast: a communal meal from Karangasem in the island's east, where small groups sit on the ground around one mound of rice and eat from it together. Karangasem's culture and tourism office traces it to the blend of adat custom and Hindu faith that shapes everyday life in the regency, and it comes with its own order of service and rules of behaviour. Here is what megibung is, where it comes from, how a megibung works and the etiquette to know, plus the dates to try it during Bali Good Food Month, starting with a megibung dinner in Nusa Dua on Sunday 25 October.

Checked on 18 October 2026 against the Karangasem Regency culture and tourism office (Disbudpar Karangasem) and both official Bali Good Food Month calendars.

What is megibung?

Megibung is a tradition of eating together, also known as mekembulan. Karangasem's culture and tourism office lists it among the regency's intangible cultural heritage (Warisan Budaya Takbenda) and describes it as more than a meal: preparing the food is shared work between the hosts and the community, in the Balinese spirit of gotong royong, and the meal itself is meant to teach discipline as well as togetherness.

Grilled satay, minced meat dishes, shredded coconut and long beans piled on banana leaves at a megibung in Karangasem. — Dishes laid out on banana leaves at a megibung in Karangasem. Photo: Disbudpar Karangasem via tourism.karangasemkab.go.id

Where megibung comes from

Accounts of its origin differ. One version, recorded by Disbudpar Karangasem, traces megibung to the kingdom of Karangasem under its raja, I Gusti Anglurah Ketut, during the war with Lombok, when eating in groups was a way to count the troops and know who had fallen.

How a megibung works

Helpers known as pengayah set up the meal. Rice is laid out on an aledan, a mat usually woven from aren palm leaves, with sambal or salt at each corner, and the side dishes are set beside it. Bowls of water are placed for washing hands, drinking water goes around the area, and extra rice waits in a large basin called a pemubung.

Guests sit in groups of eight called a sela, men cross-legged and women with their legs folded to the side. The eldest sits at the north end, closest to the food, and leads the group. The leader places the first dishes and broth on the mound of rice, and only the leader adds more side dishes as the meal goes on.

A heap of chopped chilli, shallot and spices beside a ground orange paste in a grey stone mortar with a pestle. — Spices and paste in a stone mortar. Photo: Art Cafe Bumbu Bali via artcafebumbubali.com

What is on the tray

The dishes are called olahan, and their colours carry meaning. Red and white stand for women and men, and in the arrangement Disbudpar Karangasem describes, each dish is placed by the nine directional deities of the dewata nawa sanga: white urab to the east, red anyang to the south, yellow beans and pulses to the west, black jukut belimbing to the north and a five-coloured padamara in the centre, with other dishes in between. What goes into each dish varies with what each part of Karangasem grows. Before the meal, the food is first offered to God in a rite called mesambeh-sambeh around the eating area.

Megibung etiquette

Disbudpar Karangasem sets out the rules:

Start eating only when a representative of the hosts invites the group to begin.
Never return food that has been to your mouth to the shared rice.
Don't talk loudly or shout, spit or pass wind during the meal.
Don't get up and move around in a way that disturbs others while they eat.
Don't leave before the others. Wait until a representative of the host family says the meal is over.

Where to try megibung in October and November 2026

Three megibung events are on the official Bali Good Food Month calendar. Check the Bali Good Food Guide calendar for tickets and any changes before you go.

Satu Pulau Dua Dapoer: Balinese Megibung, Sunday 25 October

6pm to 10pm, Art Cafe Bumbu Bali, Nusa Dua. A megibung dinner from Art Cafe Bumbu Bali with Bali Asli. Art Cafe Bumbu Bali belongs to chef Heinz von Holzen's Bumbu Bali group, and his books on Balinese cooking include The Food of Bali.

Bali Asli Megibung Karangasem, Tuesday 3 November

9.30am to 2pm, Bali Asli, Karangasem. A megibung feast in Karangasem itself, billed with views of Mount Agung.

Megibung Cooking Class: The Art of Blending Spices, Thursday 12 November

8am to 2pm, Art Cafe Bumbu Bali, Nusa Dua. A cooking class built around megibung and Balinese spice blends.

For the rest of the festival, see our Bali Good Food Month guide.