By Jimoh Ahmed
The Pivot Online
OWO — The sound of the Olushorope drums reverberated through the ancient heart of Owo on Thursday as the 2026 Igogo Festival came to a majestic close, signalling the lifting of a centuries-old restriction and bringing 17 days of sacred royal observances to an end.
At the historic Ugha Edunma, His Imperial Majesty, Alayeluwa Oba (Dr) Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III, Olowo of Owo Kingdom, presided over the final rites as the kingdom drew the curtain on one of its most revered and colourful traditional festivals.
The ceremonial beating of the special Olushorope drums was the defining moment of the finale, carrying a powerful cultural message: the age-long restriction on the use of leather-made drums during the festival period had officially been lifted.
With the Olushorope sounding again, Owo returned from the solemn rhythm of the sacred festival to the familiar sounds of communal celebration, marking the completion of another chapter in the kingdom’s living cultural history.
The concluding rites were performed in the presence of the principal Festival Priests — Alaja, Obajo and Olisagho — who carried out their respective traditional responsibilities under the supervision and royal presence of the Olowo.
The finale was not merely the closing ceremony of a 17-day festival.
It was a vivid demonstration of the enduring relationship between Owo’s traditional institution, its sacred customs and the people whose participation keeps the kingdom’s heritage alive.
From the opening rites to the final ceremonial observances, the 2026 Igogo Festival once again provided a window into the depth of Owo’s indigenous traditions, where royal authority, ancestral observances, music and communal identity converge.
At Ugha Edunma, the Olushorope did more than announce the end of the festival. Its sound marked the transition from a period governed by sacred restrictions to the restoration of customary communal life.
The presence of the Olowo at the final rites further underscored the central place of the traditional institution in preserving and transmitting Owo’s cultural heritage from one generation to another.
As the final echoes of the Olushorope faded, the 2026 Igogo Festival formally entered the kingdom’s history — another 17-day celebration completed, another generation connected to an enduring tradition.