… Celebrates Culture, Sports, Unity
By Edward Oseghe
The heartbeat of Nigeria will once again throb with rhythm, colour, and competition as Edo State gets set to host the 8th Edo Heritage Sports Festival and Carnival 2025, holding from Monday, December 8 to Friday, December 12, 2025.
The five-day cultural and sporting fiesta, which celebrates Edo’s cultural pride, identity, resilience, unity and sporting spirit — reviving the roots and celebrating the strength that define its people, will open at the National Gymnasium Complex, Off Limit Road, Benin City, and climax with a Grand Finale and Awards Night at Rickrex Event City, Guobadia Street, off Etete Road, GRA, Benin City.
With the theme, “Reviving Our Roots, Celebrating Our Strength,” this year’s edition underscores the festival’s enduring mission: to reconnect Edo indigenes at home and abroad with their cultural heritage while promoting peace, fitness, creativity, and youth empowerment.
The festival lineup features an exciting blend of traditional and contemporary contests, including the Cultural Carnival Parade, Traditional Wrestling, 5-Aside Football Tournament, and the always thrilling Tug of War.
Beyond sports, the event will also feature a Trade Fair and Exhibition, Free Skills Acquisition Programmes for youths and women, and Daily Live Band Performances showcasing Edo’s finest artists and entertainers.
The Grand Finale and Awards Night will spotlight outstanding personalities, cultural icons, and organizations that have made significant contributions to the preservation and promotion of Edo heritage, sports, and community development.
Under the visionary leadership of Pastor Princess Omoyemwen Adeyinka-Afolabi, the Edo Heritage Sports Festival and Carnival has evolved into one of the state’s most anticipated annual showcases — where tradition meets innovation, and culture merges seamlessly with athletic excellence.
Now in its eighth edition, the festival continues to serve as a rallying point for cultural revival, entrepreneurship, and social harmony — attracting participants, dignitaries, and guests from across Nigeria and the diaspora.
