Madaraka Festival

Madaraka Festival Madaraka Festival brings the finest musicians in Seattle together with world renown artists and inno

The purpose of Madaraka Festival is to:

Celebrate the power of music and art in cultivating vibrant communities

Promote cohesion, economic empowerment, and African cultural heritage

Create a platform to showcase Seattle artists’ talent and to gain exposure

Provide Seattle with a powerful experience of music and multimedia arts

Raise funds for One Vibe’s programs in Seattle and Kenya

Commemorate Kenya’s independence/self-rule (June 1)

06/01/2026

Art changes people.
Then people change communities.

Every conversation.
Every performance.
Every young creative who sees themselves reflected on stage.

That’s the work.

The Madaraka Festival has never just been about entertainment.
It’s about identity.
Belonging.
Legacy.

This June, we continue creating space for stories that deserve to be heard.

Help us keep building.

Donate here:
Support Madaraka Festival

Seattle is about to feel the heartbeat of the world.This June, the Madaraka Festival returns with music, storytelling, f...
05/30/2026

Seattle is about to feel the heartbeat of the world.

This June, the Madaraka Festival returns with music, storytelling, food, film, and conversations that connect Africa to the global stage.

From Kenya to Seattle.
From the diaspora to the future.
From culture to community.

We’re building spaces where people feel seen, heard, and celebrated.

And this year, we’re going even bigger.

If you believe culture creates change, help us keep this movement growing.

Support the festival:
Madaraka Festival Donate Page

Stream our latest episode on Youtube today.

Think art is just something you hang on a wall?Margie Ye sees it as a bridge between worlds.From growing up in Shanghai ...
05/26/2026

Think art is just something you hang on a wall?

Margie Ye sees it as a bridge between worlds.

From growing up in Shanghai surrounded by artists, family conversations, food, and culture…
to building cross-cultural exhibitions in Bellevue that bring entire communities together…

this conversation is a reminder that art can create belonging.

Not someday.
Right now.

Tuesday at 10AM PT on the Madaraka Festival YouTube channel.

If you care about:
culture,
community,
storytelling,
immigrant experiences,
or the future of creative spaces…

this episode is for you.

Subscribe now.
Turn notifications on.
Leave a comment when the episode drops.
Share it with someone who believes creativity can change communities.

Support the podcast and help us keep telling these stories:
https://madarakafestival.com/get-involved/?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com

Most people consume music.Jen studies what sound does to the body.From sonic meditation…to herbal healing…to creating ar...
05/25/2026

Most people consume music.

Jen studies what sound does to the body.

From sonic meditation…
to herbal healing…
to creating art as a practice of freedom…

this is one of the most grounding conversations we’ve released on the Madaraka Festival Podcast.

Monday at 10AM PT.

joins for a conversation about:
healing,
creativity,
ancestral connection,
the Pacific Northwest,
Kenya,
and why the process matters more than the destination.

If you’ve been feeling disconnected, burned out, creatively blocked, or simply searching for deeper meaning…

watch this episode.

Subscribe now.
Turn notifications on.
Leave a comment when the episode drops.
Like the video so more people discover these stories.
Share this with someone who needs this conversation today.

We’re documenting the people using art to heal community.

Most politicians talk like consultants.Hannah talks like someone who’s actually been in the fight.From labor organizing…...
05/22/2026

Most politicians talk like consultants.

Hannah talks like someone who’s actually been in the fight.

From labor organizing…
to immigrant communities…
to running for Washington State Senate…

This conversation is about what happens when grassroots energy refuses to wait for permission.

Premiering Sunday at 10AM PT
on the Madaraka Festival YouTube channel.

If you care about:
affordable housing,
working people,
community,
or the future of Seattle…

this conversation is for you.

Subscribe now.
Turn notifications on.
Leave a comment when the episode drops.
Like the video so more people discover these stories.
Share this with someone tired of politics as usual.

We’re building conversations that move culture, community, and leadership forward.

Saturday at 10AM PT.A conversation every parent needs to hear.Gautam Kumar spent 20+ years building systems at companies...
05/22/2026

Saturday at 10AM PT.

A conversation every parent needs to hear.

Gautam Kumar spent 20+ years building systems at companies like Amazon and Coinbase.

But nothing prepared him for watching his daughter fight childhood cancer.

This episode is not about titles.
It’s about a father trying to create hope after unimaginable loss.

About the reality families face behind hospital doors.
About why childhood cancer research is still decades behind.
About what happens when pain becomes purpose.

And about a little girl named Kyra whose courage is now impacting families around the world.

Set your reminder.
Watch Saturday at 10AM PT on the Madaraka Festival YouTube channel.

Subscribe now. Share this with someone who needs it.
Let’s make sure Kyra’s story reaches as many people as possible.

A little girl fighting cancer asked her father:“Can AI help save kids like me?”That question became a mission.Tomorrow a...
05/21/2026

A little girl fighting cancer asked her father:

“Can AI help save kids like me?”

That question became a mission.

Tomorrow at 10AM PT, we’re sharing one of the most emotional conversations we’ve ever had on the Madaraka Festival Podcast.

Alka Kumari came to speak about childhood cancer awareness.

But what stayed with me most…
was how deeply her daughter Kyra believed in people.

Even while fighting for her own life,
she was thinking about other children.
Other families.
Other futures.

This episode is about love.
About community.
About what happens when grief refuses to stay silent.

And honestly…
it will change the way you think about showing up for others.

Catch the full episode tomorrow at 10AM PT on the Madaraka Festival YouTube Channel.

Leave a comment.
Share it with someone.
Help us amplify Kyra’s light.

🎟️ Also join us live during the Madaraka Festival Pop-Up Series at The Royal Room this World Cup season:
[https://thestranger.boldtypetickets.com/events/184463228/simon-okelo?utm_campaign=meetedgar&utm_medium=social&utm_source=meetedgar.com]

In partnership with:

05/20/2026

The room was full.
The energy was louder.
The message was clear.

People are hungry for something real again.

Run the music up today. Link in bio.

Address

5100 Rainier Avenue S
Seattle, WA
98118

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