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Festivals & Celebrations

The Eyo Festival: When White-Robed Masquerades Fill Lagos Island

Hundreds of figures in flowing white robes and wide-brimmed hats parade through Lagos Island, honouring a departed king or chief. Here is the story of the Eyo festival.

By Amos Hope Jnr · · 3 min read

Illustration of white-robed Eyo masquerades in wide-brimmed hats parading through a street on Lagos Island

On the day of an Eyo festival, the streets of Lagos Island turn white. Hundreds of masquerades, their bodies completely covered in flowing white cloth, their faces hidden by veils, and their heads crowned with wide, brightly coloured hats, move through the old city in groups. Each carries a long, decorated staff. Crowds line the streets to watch them pass, and visitors are warned in advance about the rules they must follow. This is the Eyo festival, also known as the Adamu Orisa Play, one of the most iconic traditions of Lagos.

A festival for the departed

Unlike many festivals, Eyo does not happen every year on a fixed date. It is held mainly to honour the passing of an Oba (king) of Lagos or another important chief, as a final rite to escort their spirit, and on other special occasions decided by the traditional authorities. When an Eyo is held, it is a major event, often announced well in advance.

The festival is associated with the Yoruba history of Lagos, known in Yoruba as Eko. According to tradition, Eyo came to Lagos from Ibefun, an Ijebu town, and the first Eyo procession in Lagos is often dated to the mid-19th century, under the reign of Oba Akintoye — although traditions about its origins vary.

The masquerades

Each Eyo masquerade represents a spirit of the ancestors visiting the world of the living. Their costume includes:

  • A flowing white robe (agbada) that covers the whole body.
  • A white veil hiding the face.
  • A broad-brimmed hat (aga), its colour indicating which group, or "house," the masquerade belongs to. The main groups have names such as Adimu, Laba, Oniko, Ologede and Agere, each with its own colour.
  • A staff (opambata), a long stick decorated with palm fronds, carried in the hand.

The Adimu group, with its black hat, is considered the most senior, and its appearance traditionally opens the festival.

The masquerades are organised by family and lineage groups associated with the traditional chieftaincy houses of Lagos. Taking part is a privilege, governed by strict rules.

The rules for spectators

Eyo festivals are famous for their taboos, which apply to everyone in the area during the festival:

  • No shoes or sandals may be worn by those participating, and spectators are often expected to remove headwear.
  • No hats or head coverings — especially no head-ties in a certain style — near the masquerades.
  • No smoking.
  • No riding bicycles or motorcycles in the procession area.
  • No wearing the hairstyle known as "suku", a raised braid, which is associated with the masquerades.

Those who break the rules may be tapped or chased by the masquerades with their staffs. The rules are taken seriously, and the authorities publish them before each festival.

The procession

On the day, the masquerades gather and move through Lagos Island, visiting important sites, including the palace of the Oba of Lagos, the Iga Idunganran. Drumming, singing and chanting accompany them. The festival culminates in a grand procession and ceremonies honouring the departed and blessing the city.

The image of the Eyo masquerade — white robe, coloured hat, staff — has become a symbol of Lagos, appearing on billboards, artworks, tourism campaigns and even public statues in the city.

Eyo and other Yoruba masquerades

Eyo is one of many Yoruba masquerade traditions honouring ancestors, alongside the colourful cloth masquerades of Egungun, which appear in towns across Yorubaland. Each has its own costumes, rules and meanings.

Why it matters

In a megacity of many millions, constantly changing and racing ahead, the Eyo festival brings the old heart of Lagos to a standstill. White-robed ancestors walk the streets again, honouring those who have passed and reminding the city of its roots. For a few hours, Lagos remembers that before it was Africa's busiest city, it was Eko — and that its ancestors are still watching.

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