Open Call: AXEAN Festival 2026 Bali – Represent Your Island on Southeast Asian Stage

Jimbaran Hub is inviting musicians and bands based in Bali to apply for the AXEAN Festival 2026 Open Call — a free audition for one spot on the main stage of Southeast Asia’s most respected intra-regional music showcase festival.

Registration is now open. It’s free, it’s open to all genres, and it could be the most important application you make this year.

Quick Facts

What Is AXEAN Festival?

AXEAN Festival is Southeast Asia’s leading intra-regional music showcase and conference. Founded in 2020, it has grown into a platform that connects emerging artists from across the region with global music industry professionals — festival curators, label representatives, booking agents, and international media — all in one place.

Now in its seventh edition, AXEAN Festival 2026 returns to Jimbaran Hub in Bali on August 29 and 30, 2026, bringing together over 40 artists from Southeast Asia and beyond. Past editions have featured artists from Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, and more.

For Bali-based musicians, the AXEAN Open Call is the direct path onto that stage.

Who Should Apply to the AXEAN 2026 Open Call?

The AXEAN Festival 2026 Bali Open Call is designed for musicians and bands based in Bali who perform original music and are ready for regional and international exposure. If you’ve been building your sound, growing your audience, and dreaming of playing for rooms full of industry professionals from across Asia and beyond — this is that opportunity.

AXEAN is not a talent show. It is a music export platform. When you perform on that stage, you are performing for people who shape careers.

Among the audience at every AXEAN Festival:

• Festival curators scouting for talent across Asia
• Label representatives looking for their next signing
• Booking agents planning future tours
• International media covering the regional music scene
• Fellow artists who become future collaborators

Proof It Works: Bali & Indonesian Artists Who Made It After AXEAN

The Panturas — Surf Rock from Jakarta

The Panturas performed at AXEAN Festival 2024 at Jimbaran Hub. They described the experience as their ‘gateway to understanding what a showcase festival truly is.”

The band used AXEAN’s speed-dating sessions — where artists meet industry delegates in rapid-fire networking rounds — to distribute brochures and physical releases directly to curators and labels. The result: an invitation to perform in Fuji Rock Festival Japan, and a newly built network spanning Southeast Asia that made cross-border touring and collaboration far more accessible.

Batavia Collective — Electronic Jazz from Jakarta

Batavia Collective’s participation in AXEAN Festival 2024 at Jimbaran Hub demonstrated exactly how a single performance can accelerate an international trajectory.

Their AXEAN appearance connected them with industry professionals from Australia, Europe, Southeast Asia, and East Asia — and those conversations translated into real opportunities:

• Invited to perform at Les Escales Festival (2025) in France
• Invited to Playtime Festival (2025) in Mongolia
• Invited to Maho Rasop Festival (2025) in Thailand
• The Orchard Singapore initiated distribution collaboration for their latest EP “CODED”

According to the group, AXEAN’s strongest advantage is its industry-focused audience — festival directors, booking agents, label representatives, PR agents, and curators, all gathered in one room.

Morbid Monke — Selected from AXEAN Bali Open Call 2025

Morbid Monke was chosen as a lineup act through the AXEAN Bali Open Call 2025 at Jimbaran Hub and went on to perform at Bangkok Music City 2026 and Les Escales 2026 in Saint-Nazaire, France. That stage appearance grew into something lasting: the band was brought to Bangkok for the Feel Alive tour, and a collaboration with Thai act S.O.L.E. followed — culminating in an epic joint performance at Blueprint Live House that brought the Rave ‘n’ Roll energy of both cities together.

Their story proves that AXEAN’s platform doesn’t end when the festival does. The network you build on that stage can carry your career for years.

Terms & Conditions — AXEAN Festival Bali Open Call 2026

To be eligible for the AXEAN Festival 2026 Bali Open Call, applicants must meet the following:

• Domicile: Must be based in Bali.
• Original Music: Setlist must consist of original music in music platform.
• Genre: Open to all music genres.
• Commitment: Selected finalist must be available for the online curation process and the live audition at Jimbaran Hub.

AXEAN Festival Bali Open Call 2026 — Timeline

Artists Who Have Performed at AXEAN Festival

AXEAN has built a track record of showcasing some of the most distinctive voices in Southeast Asian music. Past performers include:

How to Register for the AXEAN Festival 2026 Open Call

Registration is free. To apply, prepare the following:

• Your band or musician profile and bio
• Links to your music (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, or SoundCloud)
• Your genre(s)

The same doors that opened for The Panturas, Batavia Collective, and Morbid Monke are opening again. The question is: will you be the one to walk through them?

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

Can cover bands apply for the AXEAN 2026 Open Call? No. The AXEAN Festival 2026 Open Call is exclusively for musicians and bands who perform original music. AXEAN is a music export platform focused on discovering unique talent ready for regional and international markets. Cover acts are not eligible.

Who can apply for the AXEAN Bali Open Call 2026? Any musician or band currently domiciled in Bali with original music available on a public platform can apply. All genres are welcome. The open call is free to enter.

Where will the live audition be held? The final live audition will be held at Jimbaran Hub in South Kuta, Bali — the same venue that hosts the main AXEAN Festival 2026. This is a professional stage in front of an industry audience.

How does the selection process work for AXEAN 2026? The curation process has two stages. First, curators review all submitted profiles and music links online. Selected finalists are then invited to perform at a live audition at Jimbaran Hub. The winner is announced following the live audition and earns a performance slot at AXEAN Festival 2026 on August 29-30.

Is there a registration fee for the AXEAN Open Call? No. Registration for the AXEAN Festival 2026 Bali Open Call is completely free.

What genres are accepted for the AXEAN Open Call 2026? AXEAN Festival 2026 is open to all music genres. Past artists have represented surf rock, electronic jazz, indie pop, club music, and more. What matters is original work and readiness for an international showcase context.

When is the AXEAN Festival 2026 in Bali? AXEAN Festival 2026 takes place on August 29 and 30, 2026, at Jimbaran Hub in Jimbaran, South Kuta, Bali, Indonesia.

What happens after you perform at AXEAN Festival? Artists who perform at AXEAN gain direct access to a room of festival curators, booking agents, label representatives, and international media. Past alumni have gone on to perform in France, Mongolia, Thailand, Japan, and across Southeast Asia, and have secured distribution deals and ongoing industry collaborations.

AXEAN Festival 2026 at Jimbaran Hub is co-presented by Jimbaran Hub — Bali’s contemporary village center for music, art, and community.