Festivals

Vibrant Guinness Calabar Carnival Sponsorship Unveiled

Published

11 months ago

November 30, 2025

The Guinness Calabar Carnival sponsorship promises bold experiences as the brand leads the 2025 festival with a month-long cultural takeover

In a statement that industry observers have described as a vibrant pledge of cultural ambition, Guinness has unveiled its Guinness Calabar Carnival Sponsorship as the Official Headline Sponsor of the 2025 Calabar Carnival, one of Africa’s most iconic street festivals.

Also read: Carnival Calabar 2025 Kicks Off with Spectacular Dry Run

The brand announced that from 30 November 2025 to 1 January 2026, Calabar will erupt in bold creativity as Guinness rolls out 30 days of immersive entertainment, daring artistic showcases and energetic celebrations designed to elevate the festival’s global footprint.

Executives described the initiative as one of Guinness’ most expansive cultural activations to date, crafted to deliver exceptional moments to millions of attendees.

A centrepiece of the festivities will be the Guinness Shine Party on 25 December, billed as a spectacular convergence of music, visual artistry and dynamic live experiences that reflect the brand’s trademark black-and-gold identity.

Organisers say the party will serve as a creative playground for self-expression, rhythm and cultural pride.

Speaking on the sponsorship, Guinness Nigeria’s Director of Marketing and Innovations, Yinka Bakare, said the festival provided an ideal platform to celebrate African excellence.

He emphasised that the brand’s involvement goes beyond corporate presence, describing it as a commitment to “lighting up Calabar with unforgettable moments that inspire pride, connection and joy.”

This year’s carnival, themed “Traces of Time,” is set to attract visitors from across Nigeria and abroad. With Guinness at the helm, audiences can expect an elevated experience that honours cultural evolution while showcasing the dynamism of contemporary African creativity.

Also read: Carnival Calabar 2025 Dry Run Ignites Festive Spirit

As anticipation builds, the brand is calling on festival-goers to arrive boldly and embrace a season filled with memories, movement and the magic of time.

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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.”