Ojúdé Ọba 2026 To Hold In Grand Style As Organisers Unveil Theme, Logo
Festival dedicated to legacy of late Awujale Adetona; First Lady, governor, top dignitaries expected
The Organising Committee of the annual Ojúdé Ọba Festival has officially declared that the 2026 edition of the globally celebrated Ijebu cultural festival will proceed as scheduled, moving decisively to put to rest growing public anxiety over the fate of the event following the passage of the late Awujale and Paramount Ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, GCON.
The announcement was made at a World Press Conference held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at the Heritage Hall of the Awujale Palace in Ijebu Ode, where members of the committee addressed journalists, cultural stakeholders, and representatives of sponsoring organisations.
Speaking with one voice, the committee firmly dismissed as unfounded the narratives circulating across both traditional and social media platforms suggesting that the festival could not proceed in the absence of a reigning Awujale. The organisers insisted that such claims ran contrary to the expressed wishes of the late monarch himself, who had during his lifetime made clear that Ojúdé Ọba must never be suspended on account of his passing or any period of royal interregnum.
“The Ojúdé Ọba Festival transcends personalities,” the committee stated. “It is a timeless cultural institution deeply rooted in the identity, pride, unity, and heritage of the Ijebu nation, and it will continue to flourish for generations to come, just as our revered Kabiyesi wished.”
In a fitting tribute to the monarch whose visionary leadership transformed and internationalised the festival, the committee unveiled the theme for the 2026 edition as: “Ojúdé Ọba 2026: Celebrating the Legacy of Oba Sikiru Adetona.”
The theme, the organisers said, was carefully chosen to honour a ruler whose decades-long reign repositioned Ijebuland on the global cultural map and whose imprint on the traditional institution of Ijebu people would remain indelible across generations.
The grand finale of the festival is scheduled to hold on Friday, May 29, 2026, two days after the Eid-el-Adha celebration, in keeping with the festival’s origins as a gathering of Muslim faithful paying homage to the Awujale following the Sallah festivities.
From those modest beginnings, the committee noted, Ojúdé Ọba has evolved over the centuries into one of Africa’s most respected cultural spectacles — a festival now embraced by people of all religious backgrounds and one that consistently draws millions of participants, tourists, and dignitaries from across Nigeria and the diaspora.
The 2026 edition promises to be among the most spectacular in the festival’s history. Approximately ninety Regberegbe age-grade groups are expected to participate in colourful processions showcasing the full pageantry of Ijebu cultural attire and music, while twenty-five Balogun and Eleshin warrior families will stage their renowned equestrian displays in honour of ancestral heritage and celebrated military tradition.
On the list of expected dignitaries, the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, has been invited as Special Guest of Honour. The Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, CON, members of the Federal Executive Council, prominent traditional rulers, captains of industry, and distinguished sons and daughters of Ijebuland are also expected to grace the occasion.
Entertainment at this year’s festival will be provided by renowned Apala music maestros Musiliu Haruna Ishola and Saheed Ligali-Mukaiba, who are billed for live performances alongside other musical acts at designated overflow venues across Ijebu Ode.
The committee acknowledged the invaluable support of corporate partners and government sponsors, including GLOBACOM, FCMB, Rite Foods, Adron Homes, Guinness Nigeria, Honeywell, Nestlé Maggi, Nigerian Breweries, and the Ogun State Government, among others, whose backing has helped sustain and elevate the festival as a globally recognised cultural brand.
On the question of security, the organisers assured residents and visitors that comprehensive arrangements have been concluded in collaboration with the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Army, Department of State Services, FRSC, TRACE, and other relevant agencies to guarantee a peaceful and hitch-free event.
The committee appealed to all Regberegbe groups, participants, and visitors to conduct themselves with decorum throughout the festival period, warning that any conduct capable of causing disorderliness or disrupting public peace would not be condoned.
The organisers equally called on media organisations to give the 2026 Ojúdé Ọba Festival robust and positive coverage, stressing that the global projection of Ijebu cultural heritage remains a shared responsibility between the organisers and the press.
The 2026 Ojúdé Ọba Festival grand finale holds on Friday, May 29, 2026, in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
