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A popular Bali running club that went viral for its wild 5:30 a.m. “silent disco” events has hit pause on all operations after sparking intense backlash over allegations it systematically blocks local Indonesian residents from joining as members.
Entourage Bali, a community organization catering to digital nomads and tourists, is under fire after leaked screenshots reportedly exposed messages where applicants were asked for their nationality before being rejected for being local.
The controversy has triggered outrage across social media, with locals and expats criticizing the group for what they claim is creating exclusive foreign-only bubbles on public Balinese roads and rice-field paths.
The organization was forced to apologize on Friday, after these allegations were reported by news.com.au.
“We are extremely sorry for the people that have been offended and hurt … we never meant to be disrespectful or discriminate anyone,” a post on Entourage Bali’s Instagram account reads.
“Some of our events have always been open and free for everyone … while others have had participation requirements,’ it continued, confirming the run clubs “are open to everyone and do not require registration.”
It conceded it had “made errors in automated approval processes for our WhatsApp group and non-running events.”
“A bias was created that some (and not all) plus 62 numbers / Indonesians were incorrectly rejected,” it continued.
“We are pausing all events and activities for now.”
Shocking messages leaked online
The saga erupted after Instagram accounts like @denpasarstory, @joshberlari and @chrisgiacobbecomedy posted screenshots exposing the run club’s alleged vetting process and claimed Indonesian citizens were banned from joining.
One direct message exchange, which has not been verified, allegedly showed an organizer asking, “By the way, are you Indonesian?”, to which the applicant replied, “Yes, I am.”
The organizer then bluntly replied: “Okay, that explains why you are not accepted. Because it’s an automatic system. And we are a platform for digital nomads.”
Another screenshot revealed a German applicant getting instantly approved with a cheerful party emoji.
“Your application has been approved! See you at [event],” it said, while an Indonesian local was told: “At this time we’re unable to offer access to the community … We wish you a great stay in Bali.”
Another local resident also shared her frustration, explaining that her boyfriend was turned away when trying to join a World Cup event hosted by the group.
“So, they gave us this reason why we couldn’t join, and this was clearly a rejection because we are local residents,” she said, adding that she hoped it wouldn’t happen to anyone else.
Another user pointed out the sheer irony of the situation, noting how sad it was that locals on their own island feel excluded from joining social activities on their home turf.
What the viral run club is actually like
The controversy stands in stark contrast to the massive hype the group has built online over recent months.
Known as the island’s first “Silent Disco Run” club, the event involves up to 150 people jogging through Canggu at 5:30 a.m. while wearing glowing wireless headphones, led by an MC and a mobile DJ blasting tracks from the back of a moving ute.
The group previously told news.com.au in May that the events were “very accessible to all and also the local community,” claiming their turnout was roughly 75 percent digital nomads or foreigners and 25 percent locals.
However, an Australian runner who joined the group’s 3.5-kilometer run in Canggu on Wednesday morning painted a vastly different picture of the crowd’s makeup.
“I saw it everywhere on my Instagram and as an active Aussie runner with an upcoming trip to Bali, I couldn’t wait to see what all the hype was about,” Savannah*, 24, told news.com.au.
She described a crowd of around 100 people gathered in the dark, estimating that roughly 95 percent of the crowd were white foreigners and only five percent were local.
During the run, the MC on the back of the pick-up truck began shouting into the speaker, asking where people were from, calling out countries like the US, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Australia.
“Aussie was the loudest reaction from all the countries listed,” Savannah recalled, adding that China got zero cheers and she didn’t hear the MC call out Bali or Indonesia.
Despite the fun atmosphere of running through the streets to loud music, Savannah was stunned when she heard about the exclusion controversy unfolding behind the scenes.
“It’s not cool what they’ve supposedly said, I disagree with that,” she said. “Locals should be a part of it because it’s their home first.”
How the approval process works
When news.com.au attempted to sign up to Entourage Bali, the platform required applicants to complete a questionnaire.
Question five explicitly asks: “Are you a digital nomad or expat?”
Upon submitting the answers, a message pops up stating: “We will review your request to join soon. You will receive an email from entourage.bali if you’ve been approved.”
Events officially shut down
As outrage continues to build, the organizers have gone quiet publicly, but internal messages confirm they have pulled the plug on all upcoming activities.
A screenshot obtained by news.com.au from their private WhatsApp community group shows an administrator addressing the drama on Wednesday night.
“Hey all, because of the commotion today we decided to pause our events for the time being,” the message read, accompanied by a heart emoji. “Please bear with us until we have more info for you.”
Entourage Bali operates across Canggu, Uluwatu, and Ubud, running WhatsApp networks to help foreigners find housing, sell items, play sports, and attend social meetups.
News.com.au has reached out to Entourage Bali for comment for further comment, but all upcoming events currently remain canceled.
*Name has been changed
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