Sango Festival

Sango Festival is an annual festival held among the Yoruba people in honour of Sango, a thunder and fire deity who was a warrior and the third king of the Oyo Empire after succeeding Ajaka his elder brother.

[4] Believed to bring prosperity to the people of the Oyo Empire during his reign, Sango's death has been linked to different mythical stories.

[6] During the 2021 festivity, the Ayabas i.e. the wife's of King boast of how they stopped rain from falling which would have disturbed the ceremony after consulting the Yemoja and the Sango priest.

Also, the festival is said to start with Iwure Agba meaning the prayer of the elders that is usually led by the Sango priest.

[7] Since its renaming in 2013, the event which is usually held in August and runs for a week attracts over 20,000 spectators around the world including Brazil, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean.

A group of local caterers prepare Amala ( a meal made from yam flour) in Oyo town, South-West Nigeria during the celebration of Sango Festival in Oyo.
Culture of Nigeria