Thousands of worshippers, traditionalists, tourists, foreign visitors and residents on Friday converged on the Osun Sacred Grove in Osogbo, Osun State, for the grand finale of the 2026 Osun-Osogbo Festival, turning the ancient town into a vibrant centre of spirituality, culture and tourism.

The annual festival, regarded as one of Africa’s oldest cultural and spiritual celebrations, attracted participants from across Nigeria and several countries.

“From the early hours of the day, devotees dressed in colourful traditional attire thronged the UNESCO World Heritage Site carrying kegs, bottles and other containers to fetch water from the sacred Osun River, which many believe possesses healing, cleansing and protective powers.

Many of those interviewed said they travelled from Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Kwara, the Federal Capital Territory and other parts of the country to participate in the festival and collect the sacred water for themselves and members of their families.

“Foreign visitors from Brazil, Cuba, the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries also joined the celebration, taking photographs and observing the centuries-old traditions.

The atmosphere around the sacred grove was electrifying as traditional drummers, praise singers, dancers and masquerades entertained the crowd, while women adorned in white garments and coral beads danced in honour of Osun, the Yoruba goddess of fertility, love and abundance.

The colourful procession led by the Arugba from the Ataoja’s Palace to the sacred grove drew cheers from thousands of spectators who lined major streets despite early morning showers.

Representing Governor Ademola Adeleke at the event, Deputy Governor Prince Kola Adewusi congratulated the Ataoja and the people of Osogbo for preserving the globally acclaimed festival. He said the administration remained committed to promoting culture and tourism as viable drivers of economic growth and employment for the people of the state.

Adewusi recalled that Governor Adeleke had promised during last year’s festival to reconstruct the long-abandoned road leading to the Osun Sacred Grove, noting that the project had since been completed and commissioned.

He urged the people of the state to support the governor’s re-election bid in the August 15 governorship election, saying his administration had delivered on its promises.

In his royal remarks, the Ataoja of Osogboland, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun Larooye II, offered prayers for peace, prosperity and abundant harvest in Osun State and Nigeria. The monarch also prayed that Governor Adeleke would return next year to celebrate the festival as a re-elected governor.

Among dignitaries at the event were the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams; Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Hon. Abiodun Bankole Ojo; founder of Nike Art Gallery, Chief Nike Davies-Okundaye; the Chief Imam of Osogbo, Sheikh Musa Animasaun; the Arabia of Osogbo; and the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Clement Adesuyi Haastrup, who was represented by high chiefs from Ijesaland.

The festival also boosted commercial activities across Osogbo as traders, food vendors, transport operators, artisans and hotel owners recorded brisk business.

Markets and roadside stalls around Olaiya Junction, Oja-Oba, Ita-Olokan and roads leading to the Ataoja’s Palace were filled with visitors purchasing beads, local fabrics, artworks, souvenirs, food and drinks.

The influx of visitors resulted in heavy vehicular traffic on major roads within the metropolis, particularly around Olaiya Junction, Jaleyemi, Oke-Fia, Station Road and routes leading to the palace and the sacred grove, as traffic officials worked to ease congestion.

Security was tight throughout the celebration, with personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Department of State Services, the Nigerian Army, the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Osun Amotekun Corps, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and local vigilante groups deployed to strategic locations to ensure a peaceful festival.

As traditional rites and cultural performances continued into the evening, thousands of participants departed the sacred grove carrying containers of the revered Osun water and memories of another successful celebration, reaffirming the Osun-Osogbo Festival’s status as one of Nigeria’s foremost cultural and tourism events.

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