Amaland Festival and the Oyo State Government launch Faaji December, a month-long cultural and entertainment programme designed to reposition Ibadan as a top festive destination

Cultural promotion outfit Amaland Festival, in partnership with the Oyo State Government, is set to deliver a vibrant month-long celebration themed Faaji December, scheduled to run throughout December 2025.

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The initiative includes the flagship Amaland Festival, billed for 19 and 20 December at the Ibadan Recreation Club Grounds, and is part of a broader push to position Ibadan as a premier alternative holiday destination outside Lagos, Nigeria’s long-established end-of-year entertainment hub.

Convener of the festival, Seun Adeniyi, told Saturday Beats that the programme seeks to restore Ibadan’s legacy as the “original home of enjoyment, culture, and urban lifestyle.”

He emphasised the city’s cultural heritage, noting that Ibadan is widely recognised as the birthplace of amala—a delicacy now enjoyed nationwide—and the origin of Fuji music, a genre that has grown into a global cultural export.

“We are bringing this historic phenomenon back to Ibadan for people across Nigeria, West Africa, and the diaspora. Anyone returning home for Christmas will experience authentic amala and original Fuji music in the city where they began,” Adeniyi said.

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The two-day festival will feature Christmas sales, performances from A-list Afrobeats artistes, interactive games, competitions, raffle draws, a children’s fun arcade, and a fashion showcase celebrating Yoruba cultural aesthetics that continue to influence global fashion trends.