By Lisa Hollinshead, Editor, Social101.com
Just when I thought Bali had pretty much exhausted every possible variation of the beach club, somebody went and added humanoid robots.
Yes, actual robots.
FINNS Beach Club in Canggu has partnered with AI transformation company botshift to introduce a resident squad of humanoid robots, and rather than quietly demonstrating them somewhere sensible, they’re putting them right into the middle of the FINNS experience.
We’re talking robot-versus-human dance-offs, appearances alongside DJs, sunset performances and photo opportunities with guests.
And, I’ll admit, I desperately want to see this for myself.
From Bintang to bots
Anyone who’s been to Bali recently will know just how much the island’s beach club scene has evolved.
They’re no longer simply somewhere to grab a cocktail after the beach. They’ve become enormous entertainment destinations in their own right, with pools, restaurants, international DJs and increasingly elaborate productions.
But robots dancing beside the DJ booth?
That’s a new one.
The resident squad has now arrived at FINNS Beach Club in Canggu and will make regular appearances throughout the week, interacting with guests rather than being treated as a technology exhibition.
And that’s actually what makes this interesting.
We’ve spent the last few years talking endlessly about AI as something that exists on our phones and laptops. Here, it’s suddenly walking around one of Bali’s busiest beach clubs while someone holds a margarita next to it.
Welcome to 2026.
So, what exactly do the robots do at FINNS?
The robots form part of the club’s live entertainment program, with FINNS saying guests can expect everything from dance battles between human performers and robots to appearances during DJ sets.
They’ll also mingle with guests for photos, which presumably means your next Bali camera roll could contain the traditional sunset, smoothie bowl and bikini shots… followed by a humanoid robot.
FINNS Global CEO Beau Whittington says the idea was deliberately designed to be playful rather than turning the robots into a serious technology showcase.
“We wanted to do something playful and unexpected that hasn’t been seen here before.”
And that’s probably the cleverest part of the whole thing.
You don’t have to understand embodied AI. You don’t need to attend a tech conference. You can simply turn up at FINNS and watch a robot attempt to out-dance a human.
But there’s something bigger happening here
As funny as the concept initially sounds, there’s a genuinely interesting technology story underneath it.
This is an example of what’s increasingly described as physical or embodied AI, taking artificial intelligence beyond software and putting it into machines capable of operating and interacting in real-world environments.
Alex Ronalds, Co-Founder and CEO of botshift, describes it as AI “stepping out of the lab and onto the world stage”.
In this case, quite literally.
Rather than introducing the technology in a controlled exhibition environment, FINNS is putting it into a chaotic, unpredictable social setting filled with thousands of actual people.
That’s a rather different test of human-robot interaction.
Is this the future of entertainment?
Maybe.
I’m not convinced every night out needs a robot, and I’m certainly not ready for them to start judging my dance moves.
But I am fascinated by this.
Hospitality has always competed on experience. A beautiful venue isn’t enough anymore, particularly somewhere like Bali where there seems to be another spectacular new opening every five minutes.
So venues are increasingly asking: what can we give people that they can’t experience somewhere else?
At FINNS, the answer — at least for now — is dancing with a humanoid robot overlooking the Indian Ocean.
And whether you think that’s brilliant, bizarre or a tiny glimpse into our slightly surreal future, people are going to film it.
Which is presumably rather the point.
How to see the FINNS robots in Bali
The humanoid robot squad is appearing at FINNS Beach Club in Canggu, Bali, with performances and appearances taking place regularly throughout the week.
The entertainment program includes robot-versus-human dance performances, DJ appearances and opportunities for guests to meet and photograph the robots.
Check the latest schedule directly with FINNS before visiting, as programming may change.
Lisa’s take: Bali has given us floating breakfasts, cliff clubs, jungle swings and more spectacular sunset venues than I can count. I suppose dancing robots were inevitable. And yes — next time I’m in Canggu, I’m absolutely going to find them.
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