One of the most popular festivals in Benin is Igue and Ewere festivals. Igue and Ewere festivals, which are possibly the most colorful and crowd-drawing events in Benin, are a mash-up of several celebrations. They are suggestive of historical occurrences in Benin. Each event is linked to previous Obas, around whom Benin customs and traditions are weaved. Every ruling Oba and all Benin people at home and abroad celebrate the Igue festival yearly to commemorate the conclusion of the Bini year and welcome in a new one with renewed optimism for peace and prosperity.

During Igue, the Binis dress up in their finest, and the entire city is nearly engulfed in a frenzy of felicitations. Men and women dance and chant in fervent adoration of the gods who guarded them over the previous year. The ostentations displayed by the colorful Benin chiefs, as well as the distinctiveness of their traditional garb, are evocative of Benin's strength and grandeur. Cows, goats, fowls, and other critters are slain in large numbers to appease the souls of the deceased Obas and the many gods of the people.

Time: Between January and December

Eho is one of the most commonly celebrated festivals in Edoland. It is an annual event held in mid-September. It dates back to the prehistorical period and is an opportunity for paying tribute to ancestors in every family unit; a time for consolidating the solidarity of all brethren in the family fold; and an occasion for sending presents to fathers-in-law.

Aside from paying tribute, the Binis believe that all who die gather and set a time for answering prayer and soliciting for their offspring on earth before a more Supreme Being known as Osa. As a result, the Eho holiday is celebrated at numerous residences throughout a nine-day to two-week period.

As traditional music fills the air, this is a highly colorful and engaging feature of the event. It is also on these occasions that relatives, acquaintances, and well-wishers dress to impress in order to demonstrate the wealth of the family.

Time: mid-September

When talking about the popular festivals in Benin, you should not miss Ohonmoimen. In the native language, Ohonmoimen means "all is fine with me." The Ohonmoimen celebration, as the name suggests, is held yearly between January and March by the Iuleha clan in Owan to mark the conclusion of one prosperous year and the beginning of another. It provides a chance to show thankfulness to God, through ancestor gods and harvest gods, for all the wonderful things of the past. Prayers are also said for the following year's protection and a bountiful crop.

The ceremonies linked with the Ohonmoimen celebration are performed in three holy woodlands in the tribe. Every five years, citizens of a specific age group are started to observe the woodlands during the festival. When it is announced that a date has been set for the holy woodlands, palm nuts are harvested, and palm oil is prepared from these nuts for the ceremonial lamps. The woodland has also been removed and is being maintained clean.

Time: Between January and March.