Billy Bagus
Dec 15, 2025
Friday, 5 December 2025 marked a festive milestone we will be talking about for a long time. As the What’s New Bali team, we had the privilege of attending Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, and this year, it unfolded as something entirely unprecedented on the island. It is a truly immersive cultural presentation that blended contemporary visual art, Balinese philosophy, and performance into one mesmerizing moment.
This year, it unfolded as something entirely unprecedented on the island.
A Festive Arrival Filled With Anticipation
The atmosphere of Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort's Rotunda Lobby already hinted that the evening would transcend the usual holiday celebrations. Attentive staff circulated with beautifully plated canapés and delicately crafted hors d’oeuvres, while free-flow cocktails, wines, and drinks ensured the mood stayed light, festive, and relaxed. Conversations buzzed with curiosity and excitement as guests from media, hospitality circles, and Bali’s creative community gathered beneath the towering space, waiting for what was to come.
This year’s Christmas centerpiece was unveiled through a debut collaboration between Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort and Denpasar-born visual artist Marmar Herayukti. His creation took the Balinese philosophical concept of Segara Gunung, the sacred balance between sea and mountain, and reimagined it into a striking Christmas tree installation. The result was both bold and poetic. Instead of a conventional festive tree, this sculptural masterpiece felt alive with meaning, rooted deeply in nature and spirituality while radiating contemporary elegance.
When Movement, Light, and Meaning Unite
What made the unveiling truly unforgettable was how the tree was introduced to the audience. As the lights dimmed, the Rotunda Lobby transformed into a stage for a powerful visual narrative brought to life by Naluri Manca, led by renowned Balinese dancer Ida Bagus Eka Arista, widely known as Gus Eka. As finalists on Asia’s Got Talent and Indonesia’s Got Talent, Naluri Manca delivered a performance that felt both intimate and grand. Their movements flowed with intention, drawing energy from literature, ritual, and the natural elements celebrated within the Segara Gunung philosophy.
The choreography unfolded as a guide for the audience, leading our eyes and emotions from grounding earthiness to skyward aspiration. Every gesture echoed the connection between land, sea, humanity, and the divine. Set against Marmar Herayukti’s illuminated tree, the dancers moved in harmony with shifting light patterns that highlighted the festive theme of illumination, reflection, and renewal. It was captivating in a way that silenced the room. We found ourselves, along with everyone else present, completely absorbed, watching a story told not through words but through art, motion, and light.
When the Christmas tree lighting procession finally took place, led by Marmar Herayukti alongside Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort’s General Manager Jean-Pierre Joncas, the moment felt ceremonial. As the lights illuminated the Rotunda Lobby, the collective reaction from guests was pure awe. This was the kind of Christmas Tree Lighting Bali had never seen before.
Continuing the Story Through a Five-Course Festive Dinner
After the ceremony, the evening transitioned seamlessly into the next chapter of the experience. Media guests and artists were ushered into an intimate setting for a five-course Christmas Lighting Dinner, designed to mirror the very essence of the tree we had just witnessed. Served with precision and storytelling flair, the dinner concept was inspired by the life of a Christmas tree. From its roots in the earth to its reach for the sky, and the way it gathers light, joy, and togetherness along the way.
The culinary journey began with Roti Rendang Sapi, a comforting amuse-bouche that grounded the experience in warmth and heritage. This was followed by Balinese Lawar Tuna, celebrating the island’s coastal life with freshness and local spice. The Surf and Turf main course beautifully united land and sea through slow-cooked Australian beef short ribs and slipper lobster, symbolising balance and abundance, much like the Segara Gunung philosophy itself. A delicate Mangosteen Granita refreshed the palate with cool, mountain-inspired notes, before ending on a nostalgic note with Bubur Injin, enhanced by coconut sorbet and cashew crumble.
This festive menu will also be available at Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort’s Kwee Zeen restaurant throughout the Christmas season. Guests staying at the resort can relive the same harmonious journey of flavours that we experienced on the night of the lighting!
As we left the resort that evening, it was clear that Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort had achieved something remarkable. Elegant, deeply cultural, and emotionally resonant. In the days that followed, it quickly became the talk of the town, sparking conversations across creative and hospitality circles about how festive celebrations could be redefined through thoughtful collaboration.
Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort
Itdc Tourism Complex, Jl. Nusa Dua Lot N5, Benoa, South Kuta, Badung Regency, Bali 80363
Phone: +62 361 849 2888
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