Festivals

Lagos fiesta begins today

Published

3 years ago

December 29, 2023

Lanre

The Lagos State Government has announced that its end-of-the-year fiesta commences today, Friday.

The Countdown 2024 Greater Lagos Fiesta will end on the morning of January 1, a statement said on Thursday.

The state Commissioner for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mrs Toke Benson-Awoyinka, had said during a press conference that over 25,000 participants are expected at the event, assuring of watertight security at the event.

“We have put a lot in place for security. We are working actively with all security apparatus of the state, the Nigeria Police, DSS, civil defence, LASTMA, and Neighbourhood Watch, among other security operators in the state. We are making sure that the entire space is secure, and we are ensuring that our children are well taken care of and secure as well,” she said.

Announcing the commencement of the event, the ministry said on Thursday, “Lagos Countdown 2024 #GreaterLagosFiesta starts on Friday 29th December, join the three-day unlimited fun in all the Ibile zones Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos Island and Epe.”

It said while entry into the venues of the fiesta is free, participants are to register to gain access to the SOL Beach venue of the event’s grand finale.

Speaking on the significance of the fiesta, Benson-Awoyinka said, “The Lagos Countdown Greater Lagos Fiesta has been serving the purpose of discovering and nurturing new talents, exposing young talented entertainers to bigger platforms while also serving as a mechanism for curbing youth restiveness that often characterises the festive period.

“The three-day event, apart from showcasing the cultural activities and nurturing up-coming talented youngsters in the entertainment and creative industry, the entertainment show will also positively impact the state’s economy through massive sales of goods and services to thousands of fun and entertainment lovers throughout the duration of the event.”

Related Topics:Featured Festivals fiesta begins Lagos

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Culture

OLOJO….Ile Ife’s September Gift To Culture

Published

4 hours ago

October 5, 2026

Mariam Balogun

By Halima Adaba,

It was a featubal if the people. It was for the anciebt town of Ile Ife, which the Yoruba race refards as the Source.

Also read: Olojo Festival 2026: Ooni Urges Leaders to Prioritise Citizens

And ut was a festivsl for the King, Arole Oduduwa, Oonirisa, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.

And so between September 24 and 28th 2026, the annual featuval dazzjed in all its white glory.

Tge Monarch paid the traditional ancestral homage and offered propitiation as part of the sacred rites of the Olojo Festival.
It was a powerful expression of Yoruba heritage, spirituality, and enduring tradition.

Call it a collection of beautiful moments, faces, colours and cultural expressions.

Every frame tells a story.

Every face carries the energy.

Every moment keeps the heritage alive.

Undoubtedly one of the most sacred cultural celebrations in Ilé-Ifẹ̀. It marked a day associated with creation, thanksgiving, ancestral heritage, and the sacred appearance of the Ooni of Ife wearing the revered Aàrẹ crown.

There were also the devotees of the famed god of thunder – Sàngó who were hardly conspicuous at the festival.

Many other traditional groups came out with candor, showing a powerful expression of Yoruba cultural identity, spiritual devotion, and respect for the ancient traditions of Ilé-Ifẹ̀.

Devotees of Sàngó bekieved the ‘appearance’ of the god of thunder on Seotember 26th could be understood as a symbolic meeting of ancestral heritage, spiritual devotion, and the celebration of creation.

It was a moment when the sounds of drums, chants, and traditional praise poetry brought the history of the Yoruba people to life.

Although Olojo is closely associated with Ogun, the god of iron, and the sacred traditions of Ile-Ife, the presence of Sàngó devotees reflected the rich diversity of Yoruba spiritual heritage.

Also read: Olojo Festival 2026: Ooni Urges Leaders to Prioritise Citizens

As a participant enthused at the festival, “To witness Sàngó Olúkòso emerge on Olojo Festival day is to witness a living expression of history, identity, and ancestral pride.”