By Olayinka Akanbi
Eyo Festival Lagos returns after eight years, celebrating heritage, honouring icons and showcasing the city’s enduring cultural power
If you have ever been on Lagos Island during the Eyo Festival, you know it is unlike anything else in Nigeria, arguably.
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Streets that normally hum with traffic suddenly fall silent, replaced by the swish of white robes, the tap of opambata staffs, and chants that echo across the island.
The Eyo Festival, or Adamu Orisa Play, as it is formally called, is Lagos’ very own celebration of history, heritage, and pure spectacle.
At its core, the Eyo Festival represents more than spectacle; it is a ritual of memory, transition and unity for the people of Isale Eko, the old quarter of Lagos Island.
Rooted in Yoruba cosmology, the Eyo masquerades, which are towering figures draped from head to toe in white with veiled faces, are believed to embody ancestral spirits returning to bless the city, cleanse its streets and usher in peace and prosperity.
Eyo has roots in Yoruba spiritual tradition. The masquerades called Agogoro Eyo are more than costumes; they’re symbols of ancestral protection and city blessings.
Their staffs aren’t props either — they carry spiritual meaning and authority.
The festival goes beyond the visuals. The first recorded Eyo procession in Lagos happened on 20 February 1854, honouring Oba Akintoye.
Since then, it has marked major events like the death of a king, the installation of new rulers, or, more recently, the celebration of distinguished Lagosians.
For the outgone year, the festival paid homage to four Lagos icons: Brigadier General Mobolaji Johnson, who was the first governor (military of the state upon creation in 1967); Alhaji Lateef Jakande (the first elected governor of the state); Sir Michael Otedola (a one-time civilian governor of the state) and Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji (a prominent business woman and mother of President Bola Tinubu), all celebrated for shaping Lagos’ political, economic and social landscape.
Modern Lagos may be a bustling megacity, but on Eyo day, culture takes centre stage. Carter Bridge, Marina, Tinubu Square were sealed off for the procession.
Five main groups of Eyo: Adimu, Laba, Oniko, Ologede, and Angere, each with distinct coloured hats parade in turn at the Tafawa Balewa Square.
Participating in or even observing the Eyo Festival comes with a set of strict cultural protocols.
Attendees are reminded that footwear, headgear, smoking and even photography of certain Eyo figures (especially the senior Adimu) are taboo and all part of respecting a tradition that is hundreds of years old.
Even popular entertainers joined in this year’s Eyo Festival, bridging tradition and contemporary fame.
Afrobeats star Asake, in a viral video, embraced his roots in Eyo regalia ahead of the 2025 celebrations, dancing in the iconic white attire and being honoured with the title “Olu Omo Eyo Oniko”.
Likewise, Big Brother Naija season 10 runner-up, Koyin, stepped into the spotlight at the festival, participating in the procession and celebrating the return of the Adamu Orisha Play with fellow Lagosians.
The dance‑like procession moves with solemnity and joy, punctuated by traditional chants and drumming.
When an Eyo approaches, the crowd is sprinkled with blessings, and chants of “Eyo ooooo…” a sonic tribute to ancestral presence and communal pride, fill the air.
Returning after eight years, the Eyo festival came back as a living celebration of Lagos itself.
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A moment when Lagos remembers its past, celebrates its icons, and shows the world its unique cultural heartbeat while also serving as a reminder that in this bustling metropolis, tradition and modernity can walk side by side.
