Festivals in Tibet

As the name suggests, the major attraction of the festival is the horse racing. There will be also the archery contents, wrestling, opera, folklore music and dancing. Other attractions of the festival includes track and field and ball games.

Date: 20 Jul 2018

This festival lasts 7 days. Several thousand Tibetan men and women go to the river or lake to take holy bath.

Festival dates:

2018: 26 Aug

2019: 13 Aug

2020: 02 Sep

Drak Yerpa Cave Hermitages are known for this festival. The celebration continues 2 or 3 days. The celebration includes religious ceremonies and mask dances performed by the monks.

Festival dates:

2018: 20 Aug

2019: 08 Sep

2020: 28 Aug

Drepung monastery festival lasts 2 or 3 days. Sacred rituals and mask dances wil be held in the monastery.

Festival dates:

2018: 18 Aug

2019: 06 Sep

2020: 26 Aug

The name Shoton is abbreviated from two local words-Xue and dun. Xue means yoghurt and "dun" means the feast. In the ancient time, the monks and lamas who returned from a long retreat were offered yoghurt and this is how the festival began. Now, the festival is has grown much more bigger than yoghurt offering. Now the festival begins with display of a giant Buddha Thangka displaying in Drepung monastery, followed by Tibetan operas, folklore dancing and picnicking in Norbulingkha gardens and Potala Palace. The opera that lasts all  day with clashing cymbals, bells and drums, sharp recitatives with melodious choruses and people dressed in beautiful  girl dancers with long silk sleeves.

The festival begins on the 30th day of the 6th lunar month and lasts for a week

Festival dates:

2018:11-16 Aug

2019: 30 Aug-04 Sep

2020: 19-24 Aug

During this festival, the monastery exhibits its 25 sacred relics which are normally remains locked other times of the year. There will be a large offering ceremony.

Festival dates:

2018: 27 Jul

2019: 15 Aug

2020: 3 Aug

This festival celebrates Buddha's first preaching at Sarnath in India. Pilgrims hike the hillock behind Drepung Monastery and also the ridge from Pabondka Monastery to the Dode Valley.

Festival dates:

2018: 16 Jul

2019: 04 Aug

2020: 24 Jul

The celebration includes religious ceremonies and rituals and mask dances are performed by the monks.

Festival dates:

2018: 28 Jun

2019: 16 Jul

2020: 05 Jul

Tashilunpo monastery is among the largest Gelugpa monasteries of Tibet. The festival lasts 3 days and each day different portraits of Buddha are displayed. Monks also perform cham dances in the monastery.

Festival dates:

2018: 26 Jun

2019: 14 Jul

2020: 03 Jul

The celebration includes a special ritual ceremony and mask dancing in Drigung-til monastery. The celebration lasts for 2 or 3 days.

Festival dates:

2018: 10 Jun

2019: 28 Jun

2020: 16 Jun