Nigeria’s cultural landscape, shaped by more than 250 ethnic groups and over 500 languages, comes alive in its vibrant festivals that serve as living testaments to the country’s deep-rooted heritage and communal pride.
Across the nation, states host distinct celebrations that captivate locals, welcome the diaspora, and attract global tourists seeking to experience Nigerian traditions in their most expressive form.
## Lagos State: The Eyo Festival
The Eyo Festival stands as one of Lagos’s most iconic cultural events. Held on Lagos Island, this Yoruba spectacle takes place to honour ancestors or mark significant royal transitions. The festival is renowned for its white-clad Eyo masquerades, who move solemnly through the city’s streets accompanied by the rhythmic beat of drums. The Eyo Festival is steeped in spiritual reverence, with traditions that have influenced celebrations as far away as Brazil’s Rio Carnival. During the event, the city comes to a standstill, with streets closed and hats banned, as Lagosians pay homage to their heritage.
Eyo Festival
## Cross River State: Calabar Carnival
In December, Calabar transforms into the epicentre of celebration with the Calabar Carnival, often described as “Africa’s Biggest Street Party.” Since its launch in 2004, the carnival has become a magnet for both local and international visitors. The month-long event features more than 50,000 performers in elaborate costumes, captivating an audience that can reach two million. The festival includes beauty pageants, boat races, and a variety of cultural displays, blending African and European influences in a spectacle of colour and energy.
Calabar Festival
## Osun State: Osun-Osogbo Festival
The Osun-Osogbo Festival, held each August in Osogbo, is a two-week celebration rooted in centuries-old Yoruba tradition. The festival is dedicated to Osun, the river goddess and protector of the city. Thousands of devotees gather at the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to participate in rituals, dances, and offerings that seek blessings for fertility and prosperity. The grand procession, known as Arugba, features a virgin girl from the royal lineage carrying sacred offerings to the river, accompanied by drumming and singing. The festival is both a spiritual journey and a vibrant display of Yoruba culture, emphasising the interconnectedness of the physical and spiritual worlds.
A Procession at Osun Osogbo Festival
## Kebbi State: Argungu Fishing Festival
The Argungu Fishing Festival is a four-day event held in February or March, celebrating the fishing season and the historic peace between the Kebbi Kingdom and the Sokoto Caliphate. Originating in 1934, the festival features fishermen diving into the Mata Fadan River in a contest to catch the largest fish, along with canoe races, wrestling, and traditional Hausa music. The event blends heritage with environmental consciousness, highlighting the importance of conservation.
Argungu Festival
## Anambra State: Iri Ji
The New Yam Festival, or Iri Ji, is a major Igbo celebration held in August or September to mark the yam harvest. The festival is a communal expression of gratitude to Chukwu, the supreme deity, for a bountiful harvest. Elders offer the first yams in rituals, while masquerades and drumming animate the festivities. In Nri, the festival also serves as an occasion to crown new chiefs, merging agricultural tradition with leadership and reinforcing community bonds.
New Yam Festival
## Kano State: Durbar Festival
The Durbar Festival is a dazzling display of Hausa-Fulani heritage, held to coincide with Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. The festival is rooted in military tradition, featuring horsemen in ornate robes who charge across fields, brandishing swords in salute to the Emir. Acrobats, musicians, and courtiers contribute to the spectacle, which draws large crowds and serves as a living link to the region’s historical legacy.
Durbar Festival
## Ogun State: Ojude Oba Festival
The Ojude Oba Festival, celebrated in Ijebu-Ode on the third day after Eid al-Kabir, is a Yoruba event that honours the Awujale of Ijebuland. Dating back to 1892, the festival features horse-mounted warriors, coordinated age groups known as Regberegbe, and traditional dances. The event blends Islamic and Yoruba traditions, drawing thousands to celebrate cultural unity and pay tribute to royal authority.
Ojude-Oba Festival
These seven festivals, each rooted in the unique traditions of their respective states, are more than annual gatherings. They are vital expressions of Nigeria’s diverse identity, connecting communities to their ancestors and each other. Whether in the sacred groves of Osogbo or the bustling streets of Calabar, Nigeria’s festivals continue to captivate, educate, and inspire, offering a window into the heart of a nation defined by its cultural richness.
