Note: Links below will open new windows.
Seattle Center Festál is back for its 26th year, with two dozen festivals produced by Seattle Center in partnership with community-based organizations from across the region. All festivals are free and open to the public to encourage curiosity and appreciation for Seattle’s cultural communities.
For the first time since the start of the pandemic in 2020, the full Festál festival series – with the theme Where the World Gathers – will feature all in-person events with some festivals also offering virtual content.
“Seattle Center Festál is a festival series that reflects our approach to building One Seattle,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “Bringing Seattle’s diverse communities together to share cultural traditions and customs enriches everyone’s lives and highlights what makes our city special and vibrant.”
Festál invites broader community engagement through celebrations of cultural histories, arts, customs and rituals. Festivals combine the new with the old—including traditional and contemporary music and dance, visual arts and crafts, children’s activities, vendor marketplaces, food demonstrations and learning experiences for everyone in the family.
“Seattle Center lives in the heart of Seattle,” said Seattle Center Director Robert Nellams. “It’s only right that our campus serves as a meeting place for the city’s many communities. We are proud to host Festál year after year.”
Throughout the year, some festivals serve as markers of time passing, celebrating the change of seasons, harvest time or the new year. Other festivals draw attention to political emancipation, departed loved ones, ancient civilizations and contemporary influences.
Visitors at Seattle Center can look forward to 24 festivals on the weekends throughout next year, providing many chances to experience community, activities, cuisines and art forms in 2023. In 2022, more than 150,000 people attended Seattle Center Festál.
Seattle Center Festál Schedule 2023:
Têt in Seattle – Vietnamese Lunar New Year, Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 14-15
Irish Festival Seattle, Saturday-Sunday, March 11-12
Seattle’s French Fest: A Celebration of French-Speaking Cultures, Sunday, March 19
Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival, Friday-Sunday, April 14-16
Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration, Saturday, May 6
Spirit of Africa, Saturday, May 13
A Glimpse of China – Seattle Chinese Culture & Arts Festival, Saturday, May 20
Northwest Folklife Festival, Friday-Monday, May 26-29
Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival, Saturday-Sunday, Jun 3-4
Indigenous People Festival, Saturday, June 10
Seattle Iranian Festival, Saturday, June 24
Polish Festival Seattle, Saturday, July 8
Festival Sundiata presents Black Arts Fest, Friday-Sunday, July 14-16
Seattle Arab Festival, Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 12-13
BrasilFest, Sunday, Aug. 20
Tibet Fest, Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 26-27
Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival, Sunday, Sep. 10
Sea Mar Fiestas Patrias, Saturday-Sunday, Sep. 16-17
The Italian Festival, Saturday-Sunday, Sep. 23-24
CroatiaFest, Sunday, Oct. 1
Turkfest, Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 14-15
Día de Muertos Festival Seattle, Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 28-29
Seattle Hmong New Year, Saturday, Nov. 4
Diwali: Lights of India, Saturday, Nov. 11
For more information, visit: www.seattlecenter.com/festal.
About Seattle Center Festál
Seattle Center Festál cultivates a deeper understanding of the cultures and ethnic diversity that contribute to the rich vibrancy of the Pacific Northwest. This unique series links together 24 free festivals presented on weekends from January to November, each with its own cultural focus, identity, and range of engaging activities. Seattle Center Festál is Where the World Gathers to celebrate the people, the places, the stories, and the traditions of the city’s communities. Seattle Center Festál is produced in partnership with 24 different community groups and supported by 4Culture, City of Seattle, and Seattle Center Foundation. Festál is also part of the ArtsFund Cultural Partners Network.
About Seattle Center
Connect to the extraordinary at Seattle Center, an active civic, arts, and family gathering place in the core of our city and region. As part of the Uptown Arts & Cultural District, Seattle Center’s 74-acre campus, centered around the International Fountain, is home to Climate Pledge Arena; more than 30 cultural, educational, sports and entertainment organizations; and a broad range of public and community programs – with the purpose of creating exceptional events, experiences, and environments which delight and inspire the human spirit to build stronger communities. Thanks to the support of Official Seattle Center Partners – Alaska Airlines, The Climate Pledge, Coors Light, Pepsi, Premera, Symetra, T-Mobile, and WaFd Bank – Seattle Center is the #1 arts and entertainment destination in the Pacific Northwest with 12 million annual visitors, generating $1.864 billion in business activity and more than $631 million in labor income annually. www.seattlecenter.com
