Welcome to Seattle Center
Tibet Fest will take place on August 26-27: 11am-6pm at the Armory Food & Event Hall. The festival is part of the Seattle Center Festál series. It is free and open to the public.
Seattle Center Festál is a year-round series of 24 free cultural festivals, produced in partnership with community organizations. In 2022, Festál celebrated 25 years of stories and traditions, ushering in a new era of hybrid programming. Learn more about Festál and subscribe to the newsletter for updates.
TIME | PERFORMANCE/ACTIVITY |
11:00am | Official Program begins with Tenzin Lodoe (TenLo) |
11:15am |
Lamp Lighting Ceremony by Marshall Foster, Seattle Center Interim Director U.S. National Anthem by Tibetan Language and Culture School (TLCS) Student, Tenzin Kunzey |
11:30am | Welcome Remarks by Marshall Foster, Seattle Center Interim Director |
11:45am | Brief Introduction by Lobsang Tsering, Tibetan Language and Culture School (TLCS) Director |
11:50am | Introduction of Tibetan Association of Washington (TAW) by Kunchok Gonpo, Tibetan Association of Washington (TAW) President |
12:00pm | TASHI SHOEL-PA Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
12:05pm | Mani Yiduk-ma (Group song) Tibetan Language and Culture School (TLCS) |
12:10pm | SHA-NAK (Black hat dance) solo dance Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
12:15pm | Offering to Yougin to the form of Dance (group dance) Nye-chen Thang la |
12:20pm | Lase Mala (group dance) Cholsum Bhumo |
12:30pm | Nomad song (solo song) Sampa Lhundup Toh-shey Nyechen Rongpo Tibetan Language and Culture School (TLCS) |
12:35pm | Changshe Dawoe Semo Tenzin Dargyal, Kunzey and Gesar Nanglo |
12:40pm | DHO-ME CHIK-GHI DRANG-CHAR Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
12:45pm | Milam Nang Ghi Nyima (group dance) Nye-chen Thang la |
2:15pm | Yungdrak Tsanga Shik Shik (Group Dance) Cholsum Bhumo |
2:20pm | FLUTE (Instrumental by Lobsang Gyaltsen) Solo Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
2:30pm | Thamchey Khenpa (Group Dance) Cholsum Bhumo |
2:35pm | NANG-MA TOE-SHEY (A classical song by Tenzin Woeser) Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
2:40pm | So yala Nye-chen Thang la |
2:45pm | Tendral Zomlu Khentse Zurpa |
2:50pm | NGA-TSOE KYI-PE PHA-YUL Tibetan Language and Culture School (TLCS) |
3:00pm | Gorshey Choe kyi Shingsa TRISONG |
3:05pm | SENG-CHAM Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
3:10pm | Rangzen Shonu Tenzin Dargyal, Kunzey and Gesar Nanglo |
3:15pm | Nyanang Gorshey Druk-la TRISONG |
3:25pm | NANG-TOE/DRA-NYEN SHAP-DRO (Group dance) Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
3:30pm | INSTRUMENTAL (by Lobsang) Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
3:40pm | NGON-PE DHOEN Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
3:45pm | Closing Ceremony |
4:30pm | FLUTE (Instrumental by Lobsang Gyaltsen) Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
4:40pm | NGON-PE DHOEN Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
4:45pm | Gorshey (Tibetan Circle dance) Lead by TIPA |
5:00pm | Door Closes |
TIME | Film |
12:45pm |
A family struggles against the conflicting dictates of nature, spirituality, politics, and free will. |
2:30pm | Jinpa In the desolate expanse of Tibet, a truck driver collides with a sheep and encounters a hitchhiker. |
TIME | Demo |
12:00pm | Momo Kelsang Dongthog |
12:30pm | Pak Chhaba Lamu |
3:00pm | Momo Kelsang Dongthog |
3:30pm | Pak Chhaba Lamu |
TIME | PERFORMANCE/ACTIVITY |
11:00am | Official Program begins with Tenzin Lodoe (TenLo) Tibetan National Anthem by Tibetan Language and Culture School (TLCS) U.S. National Anthem by Tibetan Language and Culture School (TLCS) Student, Tenzin Kunzey |
11:30am | TASHI SHOEL-PA Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
11:35am | Mani Yiduk-ma (Group song) Tibetan Language and Culture School (TLCS) |
11:45am | SHA-NAK (Black hat dance) solo dance Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
11:50am | Offering to Yougin to the form of Dance (group dance) Nye-chen Thang la |
12:00pm | Lase Mala (group dance) Cholsum Bhumo |
12:10pm | Nomad song (solo song) Sampa Lhundup |
12:20pm | Toh-shey Nyechen Rongpo Tibetan Language and Culture School (TLCS) |
12:25pm | Changshe Dawoe Semo Tenzin Dargyal, Kunzey and Gesar Nanglo |
12:35pm | DHO-ME CHIK-GHI DRANG-CHAR Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
12:45pm | Milam Nang Ghi Nyima (group dance) Nye-chen Thang la |
2:15pm | Yungdrak Tsanga Shik Shik (Group Dance) Cholsum Bhumo |
2:20pm | FLUTE (Instrumental by Lobsang Gyaltsen) Solo Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
2:30pm | Thamchey Khenpa (Group Dance) Cholsum Bhumo |
2:35pm | NANG-MA TOE-SHEY (A classical song by Tenzin Woeser) Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
2:40pm | So yala Nye-chen Thang la |
2:50pm | NGA-TSOE KYI-PE PHA-YUL Tibetan Language and Culture School (TLCS) |
3:00pm | Gorshey Choe kyi Shingsa TRISONG |
3:05pm | SENG-CHAM Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
3:10pm | Rangzen Shonu Tenzin Dargyal, Kunzey and Gesar Nanglo |
3:15pm | Nyanang Gorshey Druk-la TRISONG |
3:25pm | NANG-TOE/DRA-NYEN SHAP-DRO (Group dance) Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
3:30pm | INSTRUMENTAL (by Lobsang) Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
3:40pm | NGON-PE DHOEN Ex- TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts) |
3:45pm | Closing Ceremony |
6:30pm | Gorshey (Tibetan Circle dance) Lead by TIPA |
TIME | Film |
12:30pm | Old Dog A family on the Himalayan plains discovers their dog is worth a fortune, but selling it comes at a terrible price. |
2:15pm | Tharlo Tharlo is an orphan who lives a simple life, but could a brief encounter with a woman in his local town change his life for ever? |
4:00pm | The Silent Holy Stones This documentary traces the intermingling of native Tibetan culture with the influence of the outside world. Shot on location in and around Guwa Monastery in Amdo. |
TIME | Demo |
12:00pm | Momo Kelsang Dongthog |
Photo Exhibition by Kurt Smith
China invaded Tibet in 1959. Scholars estimate that 1.2 million human beings died, while six thousand Tibetan Buddhist monasteries were reduced to rubble. Tibet’s Spiritual Leader, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, was forced to flee into exile in India. Tibetans who remain in Tibet must now learn the Chinese language to get jobs and take school exams. Human rights advocates in Tibet tell us that abuses at the hands of Chinese authorities are commonplace. In the years since the Chinese invasion, Tibetan refugees have fled to nearby India and Nepal, and to countries and cities throughout the world. There is now a generation of Tibetans — a diaspora — that was not born in Tibet. The photographs in this exhibit were taken by Kurt Smith over a 15-year period, beginning in 2007. They include images of teenagers who are now married adults with children of their own. Those young parents are teaching their kids about Tibetan traditions. Thus, Tibetan culture survives.