Festivals & Events

1. Hogbetsotso

   Hogbetsotso (festival of the Anlo Ewe in Ghana)

   Usage

   A festival celebrated by the chiefs and people of Anlo in Ghana's Volta Region. It is held each year on the first Saturday of November at Anloga, the customary and ritual capital of Anlo. The name means roughly "festival of the exodus" or "coming from Hogbe (Notsé)"

   Grammar Note

   The name comes from Ewe and recalls the exodus from Notsé. The agbadza dance is often performed during the festival. Dates change by year and place, so check with your lodging or a tourist office before going.

2. Asogli Te Za

   Asogli Te Za (yam festival of the Asogli people of Ho)

   Usage

   The yam festival of the Asogli people of the Ho Municipality, held each September to celebrate the yam harvest. Highlights are traditional music, dance, storytelling and a closing durbar

   Grammar Note

   It was formerly called the Asogli Yam Festival. The Ewe brought the yam celebration with them from Notsé in Togo, where it is still held. The festival, which had lapsed for over a decade, was revived in 2004.

3. Gbidukor

   Gbidukor (festival of the Gbi people in Ghana)

   Usage

   An annual festival of the chiefs and people of Gbi in the Volta Region of Ghana. It is usually held in November and is said to rotate between Hohoe and Peki

   Grammar Note

   Reports say that both the date and the host town change from year to year, so checking just before you go matters most for this festival.

4. Agbogbozan

   Agbogbozan (traditional festival of Notsé in Togo)

   Usage

   A traditional festival held each year at Notsé in Togo to celebrate Ewe cultural heritage. In 2014 it was reported as a large celebration on a Saturday in September, attended by the prime minister

   Grammar Note

   The Ewe spelling is Agbogbozã (ã is a nasal vowel letter). Togolese news reports write Agbogbozan, and this card follows the press spelling. Dates change by year and place, so check with your lodging or a tourist office before going.

5. Epe Ekpe

   Epe Ekpe (new-year festival of the Guin (Gen) people of Togo)

   Usage

   The cycle of ceremonies that makes up the traditional new year of the Guin (Gen) people of south-eastern Togo. Its centre is the Ekpessosso ritual, "the taking of the sacred stone", held mainly at Glidji every September. It was inscribed on the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage in December 2025

   Grammar Note

   Epe Ekpe is also written Epé-Ekpé. The Gen (Mina) towns are Aného and Glidji. Ask a local guide or the organisers for permission before watching the rituals.

6. Sometutuza

   Sometutuza (festival of Agbozume in Ghana)

   Usage

   A festival of the Somey people of Agbozume, Denu and nearby towns in the Volta Region, remembering their move from Keta in 1792-94 after the Keta-Anloga war. It is held two weeks after Hogbetsotso, usually on the third Saturday of November

   Grammar Note

   It is also written Keta-Sometutuza or Keta-Sometutu.

7. Wli Falls Festival

   Wli Falls Festival (festival of the Wli Traditional Area in Ghana)

   Usage

   An annual festival of the chiefs and people of the Wli Traditional Area (the communities Todzi, Agoviefe and Afegame) in the Volta Region, usually held in September. Wli Falls is about 20 km from Hohoe

   Grammar Note

   The Ewe-language Wikipedia also has an article on this festival.

8. Tortsogbeza

   Tortsogbeza (Easter bridge-diving festival at Sogakope in Ghana)

   Usage

   A festival held at Easter on the bridge over the lower Volta, in which people dive from the bridge into the river. It is held together with the neighbouring town of Sokpoe

   Grammar Note

   The venue is the Lower Volta Bridge beside Sogakope. Diving into the river is risky, so watch from a safe spot.

9. Ayizan

   Ayizan (traditional celebration of Tsévié in Togo)

   Usage

   The traditional celebration of Tsévié in Togo, in which the town shows its old customs. Today it is also celebrated as a symbol of unity and peace

   Grammar Note

   The festival name is written as in sources and notices. Dates change by year and place, so check with your lodging or a tourist office before going.

Browse all TravelPhrases languages