𝐁𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐔𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐚

…𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒈𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒔

By Tashi Tshewang

The Royal Highland Festival 2025 will be held on 23–24 October in Laya, Gasa, under the theme “Celebrating Highland Resilience and Prosperity.” Coordinated by His Majesty’s Secretariat and Gasa Dzongkhag, the annual festival is expected to attract thousands of visitors, bringing together highland communities, cultural performers, and local entrepreneurs, while highlighting Bhutan’s broader vision for sustainable highland development.

Now in its eighth edition, the festival has grown into one of Bhutan’s most anticipated cultural events, delivering both social and economic benefits to highland communities. Last year alone, the event generated an estimated 10-15 million BTN in revenue, showcasing its role not only as a cultural platform but also as a driver of livelihood opportunities for remote regions. The festival provides a space where highlanders lead, participate, and share their traditions, knowledge, and innovations.

The Royal Highland Festival highlights the significance of Bhutan’s alpine communities as custodians of fragile ecosystems, nomadic traditions, and sacred landscapes believed to be protected by guardian deities. Beyond its displays of culture and trade, the event reinforces the importance of protecting fragile mountain environments while ensuring that development opportunities for highland people go hand in hand with sustainability.

This year’s festival will feature traditional displays, cultural performances, and exhibitions of unique products from ten highland districts. It reflects Bhutan’s approach to development, creating prosperity while safeguarding culture and the environment. The festival is not only a celebration but also a reaffirmation of Bhutan’s commitment to its highland communities, recognizing their vital role in shaping the nation’s identity and future.

Pema Jamtsho, the Mangmi of Laya, said the Royal Highland Festival has become a pillar for the gewog’s progress. “The Royal Highland Festival plays a vital role in the long-term development and prosperity of our gewog by promoting highland culture, boosting local tourism, and creating economic opportunities for farmers, artisans, and youth. It encourages the preservation of our unique traditions while generating income through the sale of local products and services. The festival also drives infrastructure development such as roads, communication, and public facilities, which benefits the community beyond the event itself,” he said.

He added that while challenges remain in preserving traditions, the festival provides a platform to bridge the generational gap and sustain cultural heritage. He said, “One of the main challenges our community faces is the growing disconnect between generations, where younger members are less engaged with traditional customs due to globalization, modernization, and migration. A cultural festival can help overcome this by showcasing traditional music, dance, food, and crafts, while fostering intergenerational exchange. By involving local artists and elders, and encouraging education and participation, the festival can revive cultural pride and ensure these traditions are passed down to future generations,”

Leki Tshewang, Toedkor Tshogpa, said villagers are preparing to welcome guests from near and far. “The excitement is building up among the villagers. Everyone is busy preparing in their own way- some are maintaining their guest houses, others are planning what local items to sell, and many are looking forward to meeting people from outside our community. We don’t really face any major issues, but the weather is always our biggest challenge. When it rains, the ground becomes muddy, and it creates difficulties for movement. Still, people are hopeful that this year the weather will favor us,” he said.

He emphasized that the festival has brought meaningful opportunities to the community. “We see so many benefits when this festival takes place. People are able to earn money, sell their products, and gain exposure to new ideas. More importantly, it creates connections. The interactions with visitors help us feel included and remind us that even in this remote place, our traditions and way of life matter to the whole country. That is why we look forward to it every year, and we hope this time the weather will be on our side,” he said.

Kinley Dorji from Laya added, “The Royal Highland Festival started in 2016, and since then, every single person here has benefited. We can see that while some cultures are slowly vanishing and others are becoming popular, this event helps ensure that our traditions will be known and preserved for our future generations. Year by year, the festival keeps improving, and people here eagerly look forward to its arrival to celebrate and enjoy together.”

He noted that the festival has become more than a cultural celebration; it has evolved into an economic platform where connections matter, businesses grow, and opportunities expand for the highland community. “For us, making connections is essential for business, and this festival gives us that chance to extend a hand to others and earn. The government of Bhutan has been providing us with financial support, which we deeply appreciate, but what I worry about is the future. If there could be a community committee dedicated to the festival, it would be very helpful. Such a group could manage contributions and funds to sustain the event in the long run, instead of relying entirely on the government,” he said.

Pema Wangchuk, a resident of Laya, reflected on the changes brought by the festival. He said, “Compared to the old days when there were no festivals, people have changed a lot. Their way of thinking has improved, cleanliness has become a priority, and even homestays have developed. The rooms are not enough, but homestay businesses are doing very well. Vehicles and horses are now hired for transporting luggage or even carrying guests, and locals also earn by selling their products. On top of that, cultural performances like the yak show are showcased, and it feels good to watch and share the stories of highlanders with visitors.”

He also highlighted the challenges faced by the community in hosting visitors. “The long travel distance creates many problems. Sometimes guests’ belongings get lost along the way, and during their stay, they often wish for food of their choice, which is not easy for us to prepare. Most rooms are still old, so their expectations are not always met. Even during reservations, guests usually ask for separate rooms, but since we cannot provide enough, we often have to make them adjust and share. These are the difficulties we face while trying our best to welcome them,” he said.