JAKARTA – More than 900 participants from 27 countries will attend to enliven Oceanman Bali 2026. Oceanman, which is the most prestigious open water swimming competition in the world, is back after a two-year vacuum.
Oceanman Bali Indonesia 2026 which carries the theme Waves of Change will be held on June 19-21, 2026 at Kedonganan Beach, Bali. This also marks Indonesia’s return to the official series of the Oceanman World Series.
Chairman of Oceanman Indonesia, Wibowo Suseno Wirjawan, said that Oceanman Bali is one of the most sought-after series in the international calendar because of Bali’s iconic sea background and challenging swimming lanes.
“Not only does it bring sports competition, the presence of hundreds of international participants also has a direct impact on the tourism sector,” he said in a statement received.
Oceanman Bali was previously held in 2021, 2022, and 2023 with an increasing number of participants. At the last event in 2023, as many as 700 participants took part, making Indonesia one of the top destinations in the global Oceanman calendar.
This year, the number of participants increased by about 30 percent from the last edition. Since the opening of registration in October 2025 until one month before the implementation, the number of participants has reached 900.
Co-Founder of Oceanman Indonesia and coach of the Indonesian National Swimming Team, Felix Sutanto, said that managing so many participants in an open water is a very complex challenge.
“It covers aspects of safety, supervision, and natural conditions such as currents and waves so that Oceanman Bali 2026 is not only a competition, but also a large-scale event with international standards,” he said.
This year, Oceanman Bali presents six categories of races designed for various levels of ability and age groups. The categories consist of Oceankids 500 meters, Oceanteams 3 x 500 meters, Oceanfins 2 kilometers, Ocean Sprint 2 kilometers, Half Oceanman 5 kilometers, and the main category Oceanman 10 kilometers.
This category will provide an opportunity for beginner to professional swimmers to experience the challenge of swimming in open waters while enjoying the beauty of the Bali sea.
So far, the countries that have been listed include Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia, India, Russia, Japan, Thailand, the United States, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Hong Kong, Italy, Mexico, Colombia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, Hungary, Qatar, South Korea, the Maldives, China Taipei, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Belarus.
Joe Aditya, a young Indonesian swimmer who is developing at both the national and international levels, as well as Desmond Sutanto, a public figure and sports activist who actively promotes a healthy lifestyle, also took part in this event.
Herty Purba, Director of PT Avatara Lintas Media as the promoter, said that the arrival of athletes, who are generally accompanied by families and support teams, has the potential to have a significant impact on increasing tourist visits to Bali.
“So, the Kedonganan Coastal Tourism Area Management Agency (BPKP2K) will present the Oceanman Festival as a platform for culinary actors, local MSMEs, and cultural actors to promote and develop their products to visitors from various countries,” he said.
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