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Eyo Festival

A Yoruba masquerade procession unique to Lagos, with no fixed annual date.

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Eyo masquerade dancers seen from behind in flowing white robes and wide blue and gold hats, gathered on a Lagos street lined with buildings
Photo: 4toscenethesis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and compressed.

At a glance

When
No fixed annual date. Announced about a week ahead.
Where
Lagos Island, Lagos State

The Eyo Festival is a Yoruba festival unique to Lagos, also called the Adamu Orisha Play. It is a procession of white-clad masquerade dancers on Lagos Island, and it has no fixed annual date.

What it is

The Eyo Festival, or Adamu Orisha Play, is a Yoruba festival unique to Lagos, with historical roots in Iperu-Remo in Ogun State. The first recorded procession in Lagos was on 20 February 1854, commemorating Oba Akitoye.

It originally escorted the soul of a departed king or chief, and it also pays homage to the reigning Oba of Lagos. Commemorations are listed for 2000, 2009, 20 May 2017 and 27 December 2025.

It is traditionally held on Lagos Island. The main road from Carter Bridge to Tinubu Square is closed, and the procession runs from Idumota to the Iga Idunganran palace. Tafawa Balewa Square and Freedom Park are also on Lagos Island.

The Eyo and their groups

The Eyo are masquerade dancers. The white-clad Eyo represent spirits of the dead. There are five groups, each named by its hat:

  • Adimu, the main celebrant
  • Laba, red
  • Oniko, yellow
  • Ologede, green
  • Agere, purple

How it is announced

A week before the festival, always on a Sunday, the Adimu group goes public with a staff. This signals that the event will take place on the following Saturday.

The other four groups then perform from Monday to Thursday, in this order: Laba, Oniko, Ologede and Agere.

Rules for visitors

The following are listed on Wikipedia as prohibited during the festival. They are listed on Wikipedia, so confirm with the organisers:

  • Okada motorcycle taxis
  • Bicycles
  • Sandals
  • The suku cornrow hairstyle
  • Smoking
  • Head ties or head coverings for women
  • Caps for men
  • Wearing the Eyo costume overnight

Visiting

The Eyo Festival has no fixed annual date and is announced about a week ahead, so dates are not confirmed here.

Lagos is not named in the UK Foreign Office's advice against travel to parts of Nigeria (page updated 22 Oct 2026). For the wider picture, read is Nigeria safe to visit?

In Lagos for the holidays? See Detty December in Lagos.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Eyo Festival?

A Yoruba festival unique to Lagos, also called the Adamu Orisha Play, in which masquerade dancers process on Lagos Island.

Why do the Eyo wear white?

According to Wikipedia, the white-clad Eyo represent spirits of the dead.

When is the Eyo Festival?

It has no fixed annual date. It is announced about a week ahead.

Sources and further reading

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