By Ademola Adekusibe
The ancient city of Oyo is set to welcome thousands of visitors from across Nigeria and the diaspora as the Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, opens the city to descendants of the old Oyo Empire for the maiden edition of Oyo Empire Day.
The three-day celebration is scheduled to hold from December 17 to 19, 2026, with organisers projecting an average daily attendance of about 20,000 people, translating to more than 60,000 attendances throughout the event.
The initiative is designed as an annual ancestral homecoming through which people with historical connections to Oyo can return to the ancient city, reconnect with their families, explore their ancestral roots and participate in the celebration of Yoruba history and heritage.
Chairman of the Oyo Empire Day Central Working Committee, Dr Adekunle Ogunmola, said the homecoming would extend beyond Oyo-Atiba to communities and regions with historical links to the old Oyo Empire, including parts of Kwara, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Lagos and Kogi, as well as other parts of Nigeria, the Republic of Benin and the wider diaspora.
The organisers have already engaged more than 100 ancestral family compounds in the ancient city ahead of the celebration, while a map of ancestral compounds is expected to be installed at the Alaafin’s Palace to help returning visitors trace their family connections.
The programme will combine cultural performances, historical presentations, academic discussions, theatre, youth activities, tourism and entertainment. The opening day will feature a procession from Owode to the Alaafin’s Palace, with traditional displays including Gelede, Egungun, Sekere, Dundun, Bata, Ijala and horse riding.
A replica of Oyo-Ile, the historic capital of the Oyo Empire, will also be displayed at the Palace throughout the celebration, while guided heritage excursions are planned to Oyo-Igboho and Oyo-Ile to give participants the opportunity to visit important sites connected to Oyo history.
The second day will focus heavily on history and scholarship, with lectures, colloquia, theatre and youth programmes. An academic colloquium themed “Oyo Empire: Yoruba Identity, Empire and Civilisation” will examine the political organisation, institutions and civilisational achievements of the Oyo Empire and its place in Yoruba and West African history.
The grand finale will take place at the Durbar Stadium and will feature royal, cultural, family and community parades. Organisers are also planning attractions around Oyo food, Aso Ofi production, tourism and local creative industries.
The committee said the long-term ambition is to transform Oyo Empire Day into an annual international homecoming that contributes to heritage preservation, historical research, tourism and economic development. Plans also include the proposed Museum of Yoruba Culture and Civilization and an Oyo Empire Day Hall of Fame.
The celebration is expected to create opportunities for hotels, restaurants, transport operators, artisans, farmers, performers, tour operators, photographers and fashion designers as visitors arrive in Oyo for the homecoming.
The Alaafin’s initiative therefore seeks to turn Oyo into more than a destination for a cultural festival, but a place where descendants can physically reconnect with the history, families, institutions and heritage of the ancient Oyo Empire.