Festivals

Shakara Festival Launches in Lagos for Four-Day Celebration

Published

11 months ago

November 11, 2025

Shakara Festival debuts in Lagos from December 18-21, 2025, celebrating African music, arts, fashion, and culture in a four-day immersive experience

Shakara Festival is set to make its debut in Lagos from December 18 to 21, 2025, promising a four-day celebration of African music, arts, and lifestyle.

Also read: Firewood Jollof Festival 2.0 to Unite Africa Through Food

The festival’s founder and CEO, Godson Oriaku, said the initiative aims to create a fresh cultural moment that mirrors the pulse of contemporary Africa.

“Shakara is about authentic expression and creating a space where different sounds and people can connect. From soul and gospel to the grittiest Alté, we are unifying Africa’s diverse musical landscape in one massive celebration,” he explained.

Co-founder Abiola Dacosta-Ajayi described the festival as more than just entertainment.

“Shakara Festival is a pioneering movement. We are creating a world-class platform to celebrate our culture and the incredible talent Africa possesses.

This festival is our gift to Lagos and a bold statement about the power of our creative spirit,” she said.

Billed for Nautica Beach Resort, Lekki, Shakara Festival promises a full cultural immersion. Visitors will experience live musical performances, art showcases, fashion exhibitions, culinary experiences, and panel discussions exploring the creative economy and African entertainment industry.

During the day, attendees can explore Shakara Junction, a curated marketplace featuring lifestyle brands, food vendors, and crafts. Evenings will host live performances across genres, including Afrobeats, Alté, Soul, Gospel, and Afro-Fusion.

Later, Shakara Afterdark will transform the festival into a high-energy nightlife experience in collaboration with leading Lagos nightlife curators.

The festival is expected to draw at least 20,000 attendees daily, attracting Lagos residents, tourists, and members of the African diaspora returning for the festive season.

Also read: Lagos Govt Backs 2025 Olókun World Festival

Shakara Festival sets out to become a landmark cultural event, celebrating African creativity and connecting music, art, and lifestyle in an unforgettable Lagos experience.

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Culture

OLOJO….Ile Ife’s September Gift To Culture

Published

2 weeks 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.”