Fêtes des Masques (Festival of Masks)

One of the most famous festivals in Ivory Coast is the Fêtes des Masques (Festival of Masks), which takes place in the region of Man occurs in November. Numerous small villages in the region hold contests to determine the best dancers and to pay homage to the forested spirits embodied by the villagers who wear colorful costumes and masks.

At the Goli mask dance, you may attend a ritual where two kinds of masks in the village, human face masks known as “kpan” and disc-faced masks known as “kple kple”. Women start to dance and sing sometimes in advance to beg the masks to come. Afterwards, the women then welcome the masks, fanning them with scarves and dancing joyously. Kple Kple masks are exclusively called in the time of danger or during funeral ceremonies.

The dance has been hailed for uniting the people of Ivory Coast who have been fighting following increased cases of tribalism fuelled by politics. They say that through the festival, they have realized that though they are from different communities, they share so much in common.

Where: Man

When: November