Nuanu Creative City Completes First Phase and Officially Opens to the Public

After five years of planning, compliance and collaboration with the local community, Nuanu Creative City has completed the first phase of its development and officially opened its doors. Spanning 44 hectares along the southwest coast of Tabanan, the city now opens its doors not only as a place to visit but as a place to stay, play and live. Nuanu is envisioned as a living ecosystem where cultural spaces, food sanctuaries, and natural landscapes coexist, a home for creatives, changemakers and the wider public.

“Our journey started with us falling in love with Bali and humble beginnings,” said Lev Kroll, CEO of Nuanu Creative City. “A few years later, Nuanu reached another milestone of phase one completion, officially inviting guests to visit for the first time ever. We are proud to say that visiting Nuanu for a day allows you to learn and enjoy things Nuanu is about – nature, art & culture and other curiosities. On behalf of Nuanu, I would like to offer my gratitude to the government of Bali who constantly support Nuanu’s journey and growth since beginning, creating impact for the Tabanan community and Bali as a creative epicenter in Southeast Asia.”

Since opening to visitors in 2023, Nuanu has been conceptualising a business model that goes beyond profit, one that creates a stronghold of fairly distributed wealth and sustained support for the community. Central to this vision is the introduction of the Nuanu Social Fund (NSF), designed to reinvest resources into cultural, social, and environmental initiatives that directly benefit Bali and its communities. That same year marked several milestones: Tabanan’s first international school began operations within the creative city - ProEd Global Nuanu, Earth Sentinels by South African artist Daniel Popper became its first landmark artwork, and the Aurora Media Park masterplan was introduced — a 5,000m2 riverside jungle path of eight interactive installations designed with the support of Nuanu’s AI, Aurora.

The momentum continued in 2024, when Nuanu Real Estate made history by selling its first residential project of 40 neo-luxury villas in one day, setting a new standard for conscious living in Bali. That same year, Nuanu introduced Luna Beach Club, a nine-venue cliffside entertainment sanctuary that redefined Bali’s nightlife and cultural scene. At its heart stands the THK Tower, an AI-hybrid architectural artwork by Arthur Mamou-Mani dedicated to the Balinese philosophy of Tri Hita Karana.

“Our Bali is the core inspiration for Nuanu. The art & culture, creativity, and warmness, all can be felt throughout the creative city that we built together with local community, government, and investors who shared the same value,” said Ida Ayu Astari Prada, Director of Brand and Communications. “Nuanu is a community for communities, strengthened by the communal strength, just like how us Balinese live in daily life.”

Wellness also came to the fore with the opening of Lumeira, a social wellness complex featuring the world’s largest wood-fired dome sauna and its signature Parenia treatment. On the cultural front, Suara Festival gathered local and international artists in an inclusive celebration that cemented Nuanu’s role in Bali’s art and culture calendar. Meanwhile, the Labyrinth Collective expanded with Labyrinth Art Gallery and Indonesia's first 360 dome experience, The Dome, both multidisciplinary spaces where art, architecture, technology and performance converge. 2024 also marked the launch of the Magic Garden, a living sanctuary dedicated to restoring local biodiversity. At its heart is a butterfly breeding program, offering guests the chance to experience conservation first-hand through an immersive edutainment journey.

By 2025, Nuanu’s vision of becoming a creative epicenter in Southeast Asia began to solidify. The year opened with the launch of its integrated ticketing system, marking its readiness to welcome a broader audience. Soon after came The Red Tent, a women-only, not-for-profit space donated by Nuanu and governed independently by its members, with the commitment that at least one advisor will always be a Balinese woman. Performing arts flourished: SOL Studio opened as a contemporary dance hub, while Bali Mystic reimagined the traditional Kecak dance with projection technology, and Kecak in Nuanu brought a community performance to a bamboo amphitheater built with the Kecak Tabanan collective. To complete its ecosystem, Nuanu welcomed its first overnight guests with OSHOM Bali, a boutique hotel of 11 sea-view suites and 8 treehouses in a mangrove forest, alongside Nuanu Suites & Accommodations, which introduced three experimental hospitality formats designed to challenge conventional travel experiences.

2025 also welcomed Bali’s first international photography festival, FOTO Bali Festival, which will now be held annually to nurture the medium and its practitioners. Looking ahead, the year will close with another landmark moment for the arts: Bali’s first international art fair of its kind, Art & Bali, in September. As part of this ongoing commitment to culture, Nuanu also announced the launch of the Nuanu Future Talks series beginning in October 2025. The program will bring together developers, local communities, and government bodies in open dialogue to ensure Bali’s development remains solution-driven, transparent, and rooted in shared responsibility.

Alongside these milestones, Suara Festival returned with its inclusive mix of music and art, while a new culinary-arts venue is set to open before year’s end, a journey through Indonesia told through cuisine and creativity.

Each year of Nuanu’s journey proves its growing relevance and deep cultural integration, with art, education, wellness, and performance shaping a city that feels both global and rooted in Bali. At its core, Nuanu places social and environmental good at the center of a valid business model, showing how investment, culture, and community can thrive together sustainably.

“On behalf of the Provincial Government of Bali, I extend my respectful greetings and congratulations on the successful implementation of the Grand Opening of Nuanu Phase 1. This event reflects our shared commitment to advancing Bali’s tourism while preserving nature, culture, and the welfare of the Balinese people. It is expected to become a cultural milestone and a driver of Bali’s creative economy,” said I Nyoman Giri Prasta, Vice Governor of Bali, represented by Dr. I Wayan Ekadina, S.E., M.Si., Expert Staff to the Governor of Bali in the Field of Economics and Finance.

What’s next is even more exciting. Acadia, a Moroccan-inspired culinary hub set to open in 2026, is envisioned to become one of the top five food destinations in Southeast Asia. Desa Jiwa, Nuanu’s fashion village, will showcase creativity with Bali’s signature architectural touch. After two years of masterplanning and design, the Eugene Museum, led by renowned artist Eugene Kangawa, will also open its doors in 2026.

Social Impact

Through the Nuanu Social Fund (NSF), more than Rp4.1 billion has been distributed between 2023–2025 to empower communities. With over 4,974 participants in social events, 2,245 beneficiaries of social impact programs, and 893 individuals receiving direct support, NSF continues to make a lasting difference. In parallel, the Nuanu Junior Angels Foundation focuses on education through its flagship, Kids Academy, which provides free non-formal learning for over 300 children in Desa Beraban and Desa Pandak Gede, offering art & craft, English, mathematics, and entrepreneurial skills to nurture future changemakers.

Environmental Impact

Nuanu is bringing back the habitat with remarkable progress in ecological restoration. So far, the community has achieved a 95% recycling rate, released over 12,000 butterflies, planted 114,700 floras, and relocated 597 big trees. With 87.5 tonnes of compost produced and repurposed to nourish plants that support beneficial insects, alongside the conservation of 3,300 orchids, Nuanu is building a greener and more resilient ecosystem.

PHOTO CREDIT: Nuanu Creative City