Lagos State will on Thursday, August 20, 2026 hold what is estimated to be the greatest single assembly of traditional worshippers anywhere in the globe as over three million inhabitants join the ceremonies to honour the 2026 Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day.
The Lagos State Government has designated the day a work-free day for public personnel, political appointees and others to guarantee Lagosians and tourists have an outstanding experience at the celebration.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Idris Aregbe, said today in a statement signed by himself, that the day is more than a holiday on a calendar.
“Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a thing of the past. “It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.
He said the Yorubas are one of the largest ethnic nations in Africa with over 55 million people worldwide, tenaciously holding on to the Yoruba culture and inculcating it in their offspring.
The culture and custom have kept the Ìṣẹ̀ṣe festivities in Cuba, Brazil and the Caribbean, where many Yorubas live away from Africa, alive over the years.
‘When the drums beat in Lagos on Thursday they respond to drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million and counting. Lagos is not on a local holiday. “Lagos is at the heart of a global heritage,” Aregbe remarked.
Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day is the end of a week of traditional activities and has been recognised as a work-free day in Lagos since 2023, following a request from the Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs.
Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has continued to do so every year in keeping with the administration’s pledge to indigenous values and religious inclusivity under the
He also congratulated Sanwo-Olu for his brave support to a good cause and reserved a particular distinction for the traditional institution.
We acknowledge His Excellency, Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu. “Having the courage to stand publicly with heritage is a real leadership trait, and he’s done so without hesitation and without apology. We also pay homage to Kábíyèsí, the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu I, the greatest custodian of Lagos culture, to all our royal fathers, our revered White Cap Chiefs, our Babaláwo and Ìyánífá, our Olóòrìṣà and all custodians and promoters who kept these rites alive when it was neither fashionable nor convenient. The governments come and go “Custodians are the bearers of culture,” he remarked.
The Association of African Traditional Religion Nigeria and Overseas (AATREN) will be coordinating prayers, rituals, processions, drumming and cultural exhibits in the Òrìṣà devoted events for this year. GeographicReference Aregbe advised all participants to celebrate in peace and dignity.
Three million voices raised in reverence of heritage is not noise. It’s history, faith and cultural pride combined. Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day is yours whether you pray in a mosque, a church or a grove since legacy has no denomination. “Lagos is still the city where all heritages have a home.”
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