2026 Northwest Folklife Festival Northwest Folklife Festival
May 22 – 25 | Memorial Day Weekend
Seattle Center Campus
Seattle’s 55th Annual Northwest Folklife Festival brings Seattle Center to life with a vibrant celebration of music, dance and culture. Each year’s theme is woven throughout the entire four-day gathering.
Our Cultural Focus for the 2026 festival is, Ubuntu, a Bantu term meaning “I am because we are,” emphasizing our belonging to each other and to our shared humanity.
Northwest Folklife is also excited to announce our participation in the 2026 Of the People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals, a series of programs and exchanges marking the 250th anniversary of the United States and showcasing the nation’s remarkable cultural landscape.
With over 200,000 annual attendees, our festival is one of the largest and most cherished cultural celebrations in the Pacific Northwest! So, join us this Memorial Day weekend as we celebrate values of inclusivity, creativity, and intergenerational exchange.
