History

Origins

Badung Market has anchored trade in Denpasar for well over a century. The site began as Peken Payuk, a gathering of earthenware sellers, before growing into the island’s main market and taking the name of the ruling Badung Kingdom. In the early 1900s it settled on the banks of the Tukad Badung, the river that still runs beside it today, directly opposite the Kumbasari Art Market.

Fire and rebuilding

In February 2016 a major fire destroyed the old building. After three years of rebuilding, the market reopened in early 2019 as a modern four-storey complex with escalators, lifts and murals of Balinese market life — cleaner and brighter than the old halls, but with the same crowds, the same bargaining, and the same role as Denpasar’s economic heart.

Produce traders working the ground floor of Pasar Badung, Denpasar

A market that never sleeps

The ground floor belongs to fresh produce, and this part of the market effectively runs around the clock. Through the night, trucks arrive from the highland farms and wholesale trade fills the small hours; by morning the retail crowds take over. Whatever time you arrive, you will find fruit and vegetables changing hands. Upper floors — textiles, batik, ceremonial goods, kitchenware and clothing — keep more conventional daytime hours.

Evening street-food stalls on the illuminated riverside promenade beside Pasar Badung

Come hungry: 6 to 9–10 PM

The best reason to visit is the evening. From around 6 PM the streets surrounding the market and the lit-up riverside promenade fill with food stalls serving Balinese street food at local prices — nasi campur, sate, grilled corn, tipat cantok, jajan pasar sweets and mountains of fresh tropical fruit. Aim to eat between 6 and 9 PM; most food stalls wind down by around 10, even as the produce trade inside carries on through the night.