Festivals in Ghana in August
Explore 6 top Festivals in August
Festivals in Ghana in August represent the height of the country’s cultural calendar. From the spiritual drumming of the Ga people during Homowo to the warrior parades of Asafotufiam, this month offers travelers a full immersion into Ghanaian identity, resilience, and celebration.
1. Asafotufiam Festival
- 📍 Location: Big Ada – Greater Accra Region
- 📅 When: First week of August
What it’s about:
Celebrated by the Ada people, Asafotufiam honors ancestral warriors and military tradition. The highlight is a mock battle, where men dressed in regalia march with muskets to re-enact ancient wars.
The festival also includes a grand durbar of chiefs, drumming, dancing, and river purification rites.
It’s one of the most spectacular and interactive festivals in southern Ghana.
2. Damba Festival
- 📍 Location: Dagbon areas (Tamale, Yendi, etc.) – Northern Region
- 📅 When: Main celebrations occur in August
What it’s about:
Damba is one of the most prestigious northern Ghanaian festivals, originally linked to Islamic traditions but now celebrated as a royal cultural festival. It features horse riding, drumming, dancing, and a lavish display of chieftaincy power. The Yaa Naa (King of Dagbon) plays a central role, receiving homage from chiefs and subjects alike.
It’s a must-experience event for travelers interested in northern royalty and vibrant cultural identity.
3. Homowo Festival
- 📍 Location: Accra, La, Osu, Teshie, Nungua – Greater Accra Region
- 📅 When: Throughout August (varies by town)
What it’s about:
Homowo means “hooting at hunger.” Celebrated by the Ga people, it commemorates a period of famine in ancient times and the community’s recovery through hard work and unity.
Families prepare kpokpoi (hominy dish), pour libation, and sprinkle food to the gods and ancestors. There’s procession of twins, drumming, dancing, and a mix of sacred rituals and street parties.
It’s a truly soulful, joyful, and historic festival across the Greater Accra Region.
4. Odambea Festival
- 📍 Location: Saltpond – Central Region
- 📅 When: Last Saturday of August
What it’s about:
Odambea commemorates the migration and settlement of the Nkusukum people. Chiefs dress in full regalia and are paraded through town in a colorful durbar. It also features storytelling, music, and performances that honor the resilience and history of the community.
Perfect for visitors interested in heritage parades and oral history.
5. Ahobaa Festival
- 📍 Location: Abura – Central Region
- 📅 When: August
What it’s about:
Ahobaa is a spiritual cleansing and thanksgiving festival. It involves ritual libations, shrine visits, and a call for protection and peace for the community. Cultural groups perform traditional music and dance, reinforcing community identity and ancestral connection.
6. Akumase Festival
- 📍 Location: Senya Breku – Central Region
- 📅 When: August
What it’s about:
Akumase is a festival of remembrance, where ancestors are honored through drumming, libation, and storytelling. It’s a smaller festival compared to Edjodi or Kotokyikyi, but equally meaningful to the Senya people, especially as part of their annual cultural cycle.
7. Akwambo Festival
- 📍 Location: Agona Nyakrom – Central Region
- 📅 When: August
What it’s about:
Akwambo, meaning “path-clearing,” originated as a community service event where residents cleared roads to ancestral homes. Today, it’s a vibrant celebration with durbars, music, beauty pageants, and football matches, while still preserving the communal spirit and cultural pride of the Agona people.
8. Ohum Festival (Early Rites)
- 📍 Location: Mampong – Eastern Region
- 📅 When: Some rites begin in late August (main celebration in September)
What it’s about:
Ohum is a harvest and spiritual festival among the Akuapem people. It celebrates renewal, unity, and respect for the land. The festival includes rituals, public declarations by chiefs, and ancestral rites.
Late August sees early Ohum ceremonies, especially in Mampong and Larteh.
9. Odwira (Western Region variant)
- 📍 Location: Guan-speaking areas – Western Region
- 📅 When: August
What it’s about:
Odwira, typically known in the Eastern Region, is also celebrated in Guan communities of the Western Region. It involves the cleansing of stools, spiritual purification, and symbolic washing away of the past year’s ills. Though less touristy, it offers an authentic experience of ancestral spirituality in rural Ghana.
Sample August Itinerary (Festival Power Tour)
- Day 1–2: Accra arrival → Homowo celebrations in Ga Mashie or La
- Day 3–4: Travel to Big Ada for Asafotufiam
- Day 5–6: Explore Saltpond for Odambea
- Day 7–8: Head to Nyakrom for Akwambo + Senya for Akumase
- Day 9–10: Fly to Tamale or Yendi for Damba Royal Durbar
👉 Want help building your August itinerary? Click here to chat with a local guide on WhatsApp