The Osun Osogbo Festival
The Osun Oshogbo festival is an annual celebration of culture and tradition in the Osun Sacred Grove, Oshogbo, the capital of Osun state. It is a two week long affair that involves activities such as carnivals, concerts, cultural dances, chants and so much more. The cultural fiesta is organised by the state government with support from the National Commission for Museum and Monument (NCMM) as well as many private sector bodies.
Celebrated for about six hundred centuries, the festival was built on a relationship between the river goddess, Osun and the first monarch of Oshogbo, Oba Larooye, and Olutimehin along with other members of their group who were settlers.
Osun revealed herself to be the goddess of the grove and river, and pledged to protect the group and make their women fruitful if only they would offer an annual sacrifice to her in return. The group agreed and vowed to sacrifice to the goddess if she would honour her vows. Today, the annual sacrifice has gone past just offering sacrifices to a river goddess. It has become an international celebration of cultural events, attracting participants and tourists from all over the world.
The event which holds every July/August is presently ongoing at the Osun Grove (which is listed as a  World Heritage Site by UNESCO). There’s a lot of pomp and colorful activities with people from all walks of life participating. Over the years, countries send representatives to partake in the festival, and this year is no different with 11 countries sending in participants.
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The festival brings tourists from all over the world into the country over an extended period of two weeks or more, as participants and organizers need to be there to before the festival begins.
Also, the economy is boosted around this time as farmers, cooks, blacksmiths, hunters, traditional cloth makers, tie and dye (adire) fabric makers, and other ventures showcase their goods and services.  Multinational companies are not left behind as thier big and colorful posters and stands are seen everywhere. Some of them even sponsor the festival as in this year’s festival, which is sponsored by MTN, Kasaprenko,  Nigerian Breweries (Goldsberg), Seamans Royal Schnapps, and others. Activities include Iwopopo (cleansing of roads), Ataoja football tournament, the festival art exhibition, lighting of Oloju-Merindinlogun 642 year old lamp, quiz competitions, and Osun festival trade fair.
Other events are Iboriade, Ataoja’s crowns assemblage, FUMAN’s performance day, Arugba’s berth, Sussane Wenger’s sacred colloquium, Osun children cultural fiesta, Ayo olopon contest (native ayo game contest). At the grand finale of the festival at the Osun Grove, people offer sacrifices in form of money, goods, kola nuts, and birds, as well as vows to the river goddess by the worshippers at the river bank. While other various traditional groups and professionals like chiefs, royal families, traditional devotees, market women forum, and cultural troupes pay homage to the Atoja of Osogbo – the paramount ruler of the town.
The Osun-Osogbo festival has become a major tourist attraction worldwide. Observation over the years has shown that during the festival is about the best time to see the city, as people parade the streets in vibrant colours. It usually helps to reserve rooms down at any of the various hotels in Osun ahead of your trip. The event gives residents and tourists the opportunity to mingle socially and culturally, as they reenact one of their renowned age-long spiritual and communal feasts.
