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Top 10 Cultural Festivals In Nigeria

A list of the 10 cultural Festivals in Nigeria you should attend before you die.

Published

3 years ago

September 30, 2021

Cultural festivals in Nigeria are avenues for different tribes and ethnic groups in the country to display and celebrate their cultural heritage. These tribes and ethnic groups celebrate these special occasions in honor of their gods and deities or to fulfill certain cultural and religious rites.

These festivals are usually very colorful and entertaining, with the rich cultural heritage of the people showcased through masquerade displays, colorful cultural dances, and observation of religious rites.

So here is a list of the Top 10 cultural Festivals you should experience in Nigeria

1. Eyo Festival

The Eyo Festival is a Yoruba festival unique to the people of Lagos, the festival is usually celebrated in Lagos, by the indigenes of Isale Eko.

The festival features a traditional masquerade known as “agogoro Eyo” a white-clad Eyo masquerade that represents the spirits of the dead, and various manifestations of the local dance arts.

2. The Calabar Carnival

Calabar Carnival festival in Nigeria, also known as “Africa’s Biggest Street Party” is an annual carnival in Cross River State, South-Eastern part of Nigeria.

The carnival is held every December and features band competitions, parades, food, and dancing. The carnival has as many as 50,000 costumed participants and 2 million spectators and is broadcast on television across the country.

3. Osun-Osogbo Festival

The Osun-Osogbo festival is a two-week-long event celebrated in Osun state, in order to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Osun people.

The festival is celebrated at the sacred Osun Groove and is celebrated to honor a deity, known as the Osun river goddess.

4. The New Yam Festival

The new yam festival is a cultural festival celebrated by the eastern people of Nigeria, particularly the Igbo’s it is is celebrated at the end of the rainy season in August, to mark the end of a successful farming year and to kick off another farming year.

The new yam festival is a sort of unification festival, bringing together the various tribes to celebrate and it features certain rituals performed to thank the various deities of the various tribes

5. The Argungu Fishing Festival

The Argungu fishing festival is a fun fiesta that features fishermen from across the state coming together in a competition to catch the biggest fish.

The festival is celebrated to mark the beginning of the fishing season in Argungu, a river-side town in Kebbi State. It is celebrated between February and March every year.

6. Durbar Festival

The Durbar festival is an annual cultural, religious, and equestrian festival celebrated in most of the northern cities of Nigeria The festival marks the end of Ramadan and also coincides with the Muslim festivities of Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitri.

It begins with prayers at dawn, followed by a colorful mounted parade of the Emir and his retinue of horsemen, musicians, and artillerymen. At the Durbar festivals, noblemen travel to pay homage to the Emir and reaffirm their loyalty to their various emirates.

7. Ofala Festival

Ofala Festival is an annual ceremony practiced by the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. This colorful cultural festival is held at the palace of the Oba (traditional ruler).

It’s a celebration of the authority and legitimacy of the ruler and it is usually held on the anniversary of his ascension to the throne. The Ofala festival is an avenue for the traditional ruler to appreciate his subjects’ loyalty and socialize with them.

8. Ojude Oba

Ojude Oba is a cultural festival observed in honor of the Awujale, the paramount ruler of Ijebu-Ode in Nigeria. The festival was first held in 1892 when the Awujale gave land to Muslims to build a mosque. He also offered land to British missionaries where the first church in Ijebu was built.

Though the festival started out as a religious festival for Muslims (it is held on the third day of Eid-el-Kabir), it is now observed by most Ijebu people. It attracts tourists due to the extravagant celebrations and partying, including dances by different groups in matching traditional attire. The major attractions at Ojude Oba are the display of horses by warriors, colorful traditional attire worn by various groups, beauty pageants.

9. The Egungun Festival

The Egungun festival is a festival that is celebrated to mark the death of important personalities in the Yoruba kingdom. The festival is a part of the Yoruba traditional religion and is celebrated by the Egbas, Egbados, The people of Oyo, and other tribes in the Southwestern part of Nigeria.

The festival features various masquerade displays, as well as singing and dancing, and is held between November and April, when there are no rains, with the general belief being that the spirit of the ancestors should not suffer in the rain.

10. Sango Festival

The sango festival is a popular festival among the Yoruba people in the Western part of Nigeria. Celebrated to honor the Yoruba god, Sango.

The festival is held annually and sees Yoruba people from across Nigeria and the world return to honor the deity. It features various colorful cultural displays, which showcase the rich heritage of the Yoruba people.

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