Self-Realization Fellowship Blog

We are excited to announce that our annual Convocation will be changing venues next year! Starting in 2027, the in-person event will be held at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California. The 2027 SRF World Convocation will take place June 27 – July 3, and will continue to be streamed online for those unable to attend in person.

Just ten miles from downtown Los Angeles, the Pasadena Convention Center offers a comfortably spacious and walkable environment. Four hotels will offer special SRF rates for Convocation attendees — three within a five-minute walk, and the furthest one only a ten-minute walk from the Convention Center — allowing easy movement between hotels and event spaces in Pasadena’s pedestrian-friendly downtown. A large number of dining options are also conveniently located nearby. 

Heartfelt Gratitude to the Westin Bonaventure

We also wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in downtown Los Angeles, which has hosted Convocation for many years. The Bonaventure has been the setting for countless moments of inspiration, spiritual fellowship, and joyful reunions among Convocation participants from around the globe, and we remain deeply appreciative of its warm hospitality and its gracious and welcoming staff.
 

A New Chapter in Convocation’s History

Over the decades, Convocation has adapted as attendance expanded and new venues were needed to serve the needs of participants. While locations have changed through the years, the purpose has remained the same: to bring together spiritual seekers from around the world to experience the transforming teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda and the joy of seeking God together.

The SRF Convocation was established in 1950 by Paramahansaji with an event held on the tennis court at the SRF International Headquarters (Mother Center) in Los Angeles.

By 1970 attendance had greatly expanded, and for the first time Convocation was held at the Millenium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles — which had also been the site in 1952 of Paramahansa Yogananda’s mahasamadhi (a great yogi’s final conscious exit from the body in a state of oneness with Spirit).

In 1985, to better accommodate the thousands of attendees, Convocation moved to the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles — where the in-person event has been held for the past 40 years. 

Now we will begin a new chapter, and we look forward to welcoming attendees to the Pasadena Convention Center in 2027 — and to the many more opportunities to experience together the spiritual renewal, uplifting fellowship, and communion with the Divine that Convocation offers. Registration will open in the spring of 2027.

We invite you to learn more about Convocation and what you can experience during this transformative weeklong immersion in the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda.

The online events of the 2026 SRF World Convocation continue to be available — whether you are enjoying them again or experiencing them for the first time.