Stadion Ngurah Rai (Ngurah Rai Stadium), Denpasar

Stadion Ngurah Rai is a key public sports venue tied to Balinese football history. Before Bali United rose at Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium, Ngurah Rai was the historic home of Gelora Dewata, a leading club of the 1990s Galatama and Liga Indonesia eras. It is named after I Gusti Ngurah Rai, born in Carangsari, who led the Puputan Margarana resistance in 1946. His image has appeared on 50,000 Indonesian Rupiah notes, including the 2005 and 2016 series.

The venue later gained renewed attention through renovations for the FIFA U-20 World Cup, originally planned for 2021 and rescheduled to 2023. Prepared as a training site, Ngurah Rai received a new natural grass pitch and upgraded lighting. It was part of a roughly Rp175 billion government project covering five Bali football venues, though the 2,400-lux lighting figure refers more closely to Kapten I Wayan Dipta Stadium.

Although football remains central, Ngurah Rai Stadium is also a multisport and civic complex, with facilities for basketball, volleyball, and wall climbing. It has hosted religious ceremonies, music festivals, and other large public events, serving as a gathering space beyond the tourist trail. For visitors, it offers a glimpse of Bali beyond temples and beaches, where sport, community events, and everyday public life come together.