The Adamu Orisha play popularly known as the Eyo Festival is a cultural event indigenous to Lagos. It involves costumed dancers; the Eyo who wear large hats and carry staffs.
The Eyo masquerades have a hierarchy with the Adimu traditionally being the leaders. The other houses are the Laba (Red), Oniko (yellow), Ologede (Green) and Agere (Purple).
The event is usually in celebration of a departed king or an incoming one. The Eyo Festival typically involves a procession that starts off from inside Lagos Island and ends at the palace of the Oba of Lagos; Iga Idunganran.
In this year’s iteration the Lagos State Government tried to make the event a lot more interesting from tourism perspective. They added new groups for some variety and also moved the final destination to the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS). This year’s event was in honour of the late Oba of Ikate Kingdom; Oba Yekini Adeniyi Elegushi – Kusenla II.
I attended the Eyo Festival and grabbed a few images of the colourful ceremony.
