30th July 2014 The official schedule for the Osun – Oshogbo festival, one of Nigeria’s most oldest cultural festivals has been announced.
A feature on the Osun state website lets us know that pre-festival activities will include the Ataoja Youth Football Challenge, the Traditional Cleansing of the City, an Art exhibition, a Native Ayo championship and a Musical concert to be led by Apala maestro, Musiliu Haruna Ishola. The 642 year old 16 points lamp Olojumerindinlogun will also be lit and in a nod to progressiveness, there will also be a golf Competition. Other pre- festival events will include a Marathon, a Traditional Food Festival, and a Trade Fair with all pre-festival events to end on Sunday, the 17th of August, 2014.
The festival’s grand finale we’re told, will run on Monday, 18th August, to Saturday August 23 2014 with an assemblage of crowns, Arugba’s berth, a tour of Susanne Wenger’s Sacred Colloquium, an Osun Children cultural fiesta, a HIV/AIDS Promotional Campaign, the Sisi Osun Cultural Pageant and Ataoja’s Royal Invitational Reception.
We’re told that the Osun Osogbo festival has become the biggest festival in Nigeria recording 21,713 domestic tourists and 123 international tourists in 2013.