- the monarch disclosed the date during a media briefing held at the Iga Idunganran Palace on Lagos Island
- Oba Akiolu cautioned all participating Eyo groups to conduct themselves with discipline
- this year’s parade will take place exclusively at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS)
The Oba of Lagos, His Royal Majesty Oba Rilwan Babatunde Akiolu, has fixed Saturday, December 27, 2025, for the next edition of the Eyo Festival, announcing that the cultural procession will be staged in honour of the late Chief Abibatu Mogaji, mother of President Bola Tinubu, as well as former Lagos Governors Lateef Jakande and Sir Michael Otedola.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the monarch disclosed the date during a media briefing held at the Iga Idunganran Palace on Lagos Island, where he addressed journalists alongside the White Cap Chiefs and reaffirmed that robust security arrangements have been put in place for the historic celebration.
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Oba Akiolu cautioned all participating Eyo groups to conduct themselves with discipline, warning that no masquerade is permitted to intimidate or extort spectators, fun seekers, or fellow participants under any guise.
He maintained that the Eyo procession remains a sacred cultural legacy of Lagos and must never be exploited for personal financial gain, stressing that the festival symbolises honour, tradition, and communal identity.
According to the palace, this year’s parade will take place exclusively at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), with movement limited to areas within Lagos Island. To ease logistics, the organisers are arranging 100 buses to convey participants from various parts of the state to the venue.
Widely regarded as the Adamu Orisha Play, the Eyo Festival is one of Lagos’ oldest cultural rites, traditionally performed to pay tribute to deceased kings and prominent chiefs and to usher their spirits to the afterlife.
The masquerades, known as Eyo, appear dressed in white regalia with distinctive coloured Aga caps and wield opambata staffs as they move from their respective family palaces through designated routes to the final convergence point at the Agodo shrine.
Although firmly rooted in Yoruba spirituality, the festival has evolved into a major cultural tourism attraction, drawing thousands of residents and visitors each time it is staged while still preserving its deep cultural and ancestral meaning.
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