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EveryParampara

Next: 27 Aug to 7 Sept 2027

Osun-Osogbo Festival

The Yoruba festival of the river goddess Osun, in a sacred grove at Osogbo, with a procession to the river for her blessing.

A pattern drawn for this day, not a photograph.

When is Osun-Osogbo Festival in 2027?

Osun-Osogbo Festival 2027 runs from 27 August to 7 September 2027. Other years: 2026, 28 August to 8 September 2026; 2028, 25 August to 5 September 2028.

About Osun-Osogbo Festival

The Osun-Osogbo festival is held for two weeks each August in Osogbo, Nigeria, in honour of Osun, the Yoruba goddess of fertility and fresh water. It centres on the Osun Sacred Grove, a forest of shrines and sculptures beside the river, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The festival begins with the lighting of the sixteen-point lamp, Olojumerindinlogun, followed by the cleansing of the town. On the last day, the Ataoja, the king of Osogbo, leads a procession of worshippers, dressed in white, to the river, accompanied by a virgin priestess, the Arugba, who carries a sacred calabash containing the offerings. Prayers are made for the people's health, and for children, and visitors from the Yoruba diaspora in Brazil, Cuba and the United States attend.

Osun-Osogbo Festival dates: 2026, 2027, 2028

YearOsun-Osogbo Festival date
202628 August to 8 September 2026
202727 August to 7 September 2027
202825 August to 5 September 2028

What is eaten

  • pounded yam
  • egusi soup
  • palm wine

Also part of it, and being written: Osun (The river goddess.), Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove (The grove of the festival.), Yoruba religion (The faith of the festival.).

More marked on Osun-Osogbo Festival

🇳🇬 Osogbo, NigeriaOsun-Osogbo FestivalOsun-Osogbo An annual Yoruba festival of cleansing, procession and sacrifice to the river goddess Osun in Osogbo, Nigeria.Festival
About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Osun-Osogbo Festival" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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