🇳🇬NigeriaWest Africa
Osun-Osogbo festival targets 500,000 participants for 2026 edition
via Punch Nigeria1 min read
The organisers of the annual Osun-Osogbo Festival anticipate approximately 500,000 participants for the 2026 edition, scheduled from July 27 to August 7. Mr. Oyindamola Olukanni, Media Head of Our Heritage Branding and Advertising Limited, the festival’s marketing consultant, announced this in a statement. Olukanni stated that the globally recognised cultural event is launching new campaign visuals to reposition the festival as a living and uninterrupted civilisation. He highlighted that the festival has been continuously practiced and preserved for over 600 years as a living tradition. The 2026 edition, themed “Preserving Heritage, Inspiring the Future,” emphasizes tradition as a guide to progress. The Osun Sacred Grove, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is noted as one of the last surviving sacred ecosystems where spirituality, culture, and community actively continue. Monthly campaign rollouts have been ongoing since February to boost audience engagement and visibility for participating brands. Pre-festival activities, including the Osun-Osogbo Global Summit on May 29, will gather stakeholders to outline the festival’s strategic direction and announce partners. Olukanni noted that under the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, the festival remains one of Africa’s most enduring cultural institutions, describing it as unbroken, authentic, and globally significant.
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