The Durbar Festival

Ranking the first place on our list of the most famous festivals in Nigeria is the Durbar festival. The Durbar festival is an annual cultural, religious, equestrian and famous festival held in Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Zazzau, Bauchi, Bida, and Ilorin, among other northern Nigerian cities. The event commemorates the end of Ramadan and the Muslim holidays of Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitri.

The Emir and his retinue of riders, musicians, and artillerymen begin with dawn prayers, followed by a colorful mounted procession of the Emir and his retinue of horsemen, musicians, and artillerymen. Noblemen travel to the Durbar festival to pay tribute to the Emir and pledge their allegiance to their respective emirates.

Kano, Nigeria's largest city, has hosted the event since the 14th century. The Kano durbar festival is a four-day luxury, horsemanship, and street parade spectacle.

Some claim that colonial rulers introduced the Durbar festival to Nigeria with political goals in mind. The word Durbar is Persian in origin, and it was first associated with ceremonial gatherings commemorating Queen Victoria's declaration as Empress of colonial India. Colonialists produced assemblies and celebrations of key events in Northern Nigeria, and the ceremonies drew together pre-colonial parts of the martial display.

Location: Northern Nigerian cities