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Festival tours in Ghana
With over two hundred festivals in Ghana as well as our very own Aloriga Tours Ghana events, it’s clear we like to celebrate. And you’re invited to join us!
Events by Aloriga Tours Ghana
Festival Calendar
There are over two hundred festivals, which are celebrated each year in Ghana. Among them are Adae and Akwasiddae, Dzwuwu, Apoo, Ngmayem, Dipo, Aboakyer/Antelope, Kundum, Fetu Afahye, Kobine, Odwira, and Sasabobrim and many others. Many festivals include thrilling durbars of chiefs, when tribal leaders and Queen Mothers process in decorated palanquins, shaded by the traditional umbrellas, and supported by drummers and warriors discharging ancient muskets.
However, one of the most interesting festivals is Akwasidae Festival of the Ashantis. The Akwasidae festival is celebrated every 42 days in Ghana
The Ashantis believe in the dead. Each time that a king dies, his stool (“chair”) is sent to a special place where it is kept. It is the duty of the Asantehene , the Ashanti King to purify the stools of the dead kings every 42 days.
Main festivals in Ghana
- Odwira: Celebrated by the Akan people of Akuapem, Akwamu, Denkyira and the Akyems;
- The Yam Festival: Celebrated by the Akan people of Aburi in Akuapem;
- Aboakyir: Celebrated by the Effutus of Wineba;
- Akwambo: Celebrated by the Fantes of Agona and Gomoa;
- Ayerye: Celebrated by the Fantes;
- Oguaa Fetu Afahye festival – Which is celebrated, every year in the first week of September, in the Central region of Ghana.
- The Papa Festival: Celebrated by the Akan people of Kumasi;
- Hogbetsotso: Celebrated by the Ewe people of Anlo;
- Homowo Festival: Celebrated by the Ga people of Greater Accra;
- The Yam Festival: Celebrated by several Ewe groups of the Volta Region;
- Damba: Celebrated by the poeple of the NOrthern and Upper Regions of Ghana;
- Kwafie: Celebrated by the poeple of the Brong Ahafo Region;
- Okyonsa: Celebrated by the people of the Santrokofi in the Volta Region;
- Bakatue: Celebrated by the people of Elimina;
- Nmayem: Celebrated by the people lof Odumase Krobo;
- Asafotufiam: Celebrated by the poeple of Ada;
- Bugum (Fire) Festival: Celebrated by the Dagombas of the Northern Region;
Festival Calendar by month
- Adae Kese Festival – State Festival of the Ashanti’s for the purification of ancestral stools – Kumasi, Ashanti Region
- Edina Buronya Festival – (Local version of Christmas exclusively celebrated by the people of Edina) – 1st Thursday of the New Year – Elmina, Central Region
- Rice Festival – Harvest / Thanksgiving: 3rd Week -Akpafu, Volta Region
- Ntoa Fokuose Festival – Festival of the god ‘Ntoa” – 10th January -Nkoranza, Brong Ahafo Region
- Akwanbo Festival – Gomoa Abora, Central Region
- Yam Festival – Sefwi Bekwai Traditional Area, Western Region
- Okwawuman Afahye – Abetifi Traditional Area, Eastern Region
- Gologo Festival – Sacrifices to the gods for abundant rain and good harvest in the ensuring year -Tong-Zug, Upper East Region
- Ngmayen Festival – Harvest / Thanksgiving – late March or early April -Krobo Odumase Somanya,
- Eastern Region
- Odwira Festival -Kyempo, Asante Akim South, Ashanti Region
- Aboakyer Festival (Deer Hunting) (Short Info) – Aboakyir Festival Ghana.(Full Info) – Winneba, Central region of Ghana. Late April or early May -Winneba – Central Region
- Kotoklo Festival – in honour of the shrine “Kotoklo” for the role it played in an ancient war -Somanya & Krobo Odumase, Eastern Region
- Bakatue Festival – Fish Harvest -Elmina, Central Region
- Homowo Festival – (Harvest/Thanksgiving) -Accra, Labadi, Teshie, Nungua Gt. Accra Region
- Asafotu Festival – (Commenmorating victories of warriors in battles, and in honour of those who fell in battles) 1st weekend in August – Ada, Greater Accra Region
- Bayere Afahye – (Yam harvest) – last Monday or 1st Monday in 2nd week -Banda, Brong – Ahafo Region
- Akwambo Festival – (Path – clearing) a Festival commemorating the clearing of foot path leading to rivers, farms & communal sites – early August.-Agona Nyakrom,-Central Region
- Ahobaa Festival – (Festival commemorating end of epidemic, and in honour of a man called ‘Ahor’ who sacrificed his life to end the epidemic) – 3rd week -Gomoa Assin,- Central Region
- Kundum Festival – (Festival commemorating end of famine dating beyond 1700) 2nd week-Upper Dixcove, Western Region
- Damba Festival – (Ushers in the new yam crop. Originally linked with Islam, to commemorate the birth and naming of the Prophet Mohammed) -Dagomba Festival , Mamprusi, Gonja, Nanumba and Wala, Northern and Upper Regions
- Odambea Festival – (Commemorates the migration of the people of “Nkusukum” from Techiman to their present settlement at Saltpond -Saltpond- Central Region
- Ahobaa Festival – Gomoa Akyempim Traditional Area, Western Region
- Fetu Afahye Festival (Short info) and Fetu Afahye Festival (Full info) – (Festival commemorates first contact with the Whites) – 1st week -Ogua Traditional Area, Cape Coast, Central Region
- Odwira Festival – (Harvest/Thanksgiving) -Akropong-Akuapem, Eastern Region
- Kobine Festival – (Harvest/Thanksgiving -Dagarti, Upper West Region
- Akwanbo Festival -Enyan Abaasa, Ajumako-Enyam Essian, Central Region
- Ohum Festival – Mampong-Akuapem, Eastern Region
- Awubia Festival -Awutu, Bawjiase, Central Region
- Akonnedi Festival – (Festival of the ‘Akonnedi’ shrine) 9th – 15th October -Larteh, Eastern Region
- Ngmayem Festival – Shai Traditional Area, Dodowa, Greater Accra
- Yam Festival – Kpedze, Volta Region
- Odwira Festival – Akropong and Amanokrom, Eastern Region
- Bugum (Fire) Festival – The dates back to the time when one Tindana lost his dear son. The name of the Tindana and the said son are known as Tindana Suhizee and suhipieli respectively. (Northern regions)
- Akwambo Festival – Agona Duakwa, Central Region
- Hogbetsotso – (Festival commemorating migration of the people of Anlo from Notsieto Anlo State) -Anlo, Volta Region
- Apoo – (Purification of the people) to rid them of social evil -Techiman, Brong Ahafo Region
- Kwafie – (Purification ceremony), the high-light of which is a large bonfire) – between November & December – Dormaa Ahenkro, Berekum Nsuatre, Brong-Ahafo Region
- Kabube – Nandom Traditional Area, Upper West Region
- Amu (brown rice) Festival – Of the chiefs and people of the Avatime Traditional Area at Avatime Gbadzeme in the Volta Region
- The chiefs and people of Vane together with their kinsmen from the Avatime Traditional Area celebrate the AMU or Rice Festival through the week leading to, and on the first weekend in the month of November every year. This festival is celebrated in lieu of the agricultural activities forming the major economic activity of the people and rice cultivated as a staple.
- Odwira Festival -Denkyira Traditional Area, Dunkwa, Central Region
- Fiok Festival (War festival), re-enacting the ancient heroic exploits of the Builsas) -Sandema, Upper East Region
- Yam Festival -Sefwi-Wiawso Traditional Area, Western Region
- Odwira Festival -Akyem Kotoku Traditional Area, Akyem Oda, Eastern Region