Gatherings

Benin

Fête du Vodoun (Ouidah Voodoo Festival)
Held in Ouidah, an historic town from the transatlantic slave trade and believed to be the birthplace of Vodun, the festival honours its legacy, ancestors, and spirits that shaped the region’s identity every January 10th. Read: "Inside Vodun Days: What It’s really like to experience Benin’s most important cultural festival"

Brazil

Festa de Iemanjá (Iemanjá Festival)
A festival honouring the orixá Iemanjá that takes place in Salvador, the capital of the Brazilian state of Bahia, every February 2nd.

Canada

Celebración del Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead Celebration)
A multi-day celebration of ceremonial and artistic events, taking place during the months of October and November in the city of Toronto.

Good Mourning Festival
Held at Evergreen Brickworks in Toronto in November, the festival is dedicated to exploring and honouring the significance of mourning in public spaces.

Ethiopia

Ashendye Festival
Also known as Ashenda, Shadey, or Solel, this annual girls' festival is a traditional and religious event that takes place during the month of August. Marking the end of a two-week fasting period known as Filseta, it is observed by followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in honour of the Ascension of Saint Mary.

Ghana

Takoradi Masquerade Festival
Often referred to as the Ankos Festival or the Fancy Dress Parade, the Takoradi Masquerade Festival blends local customs with playful reinterpretations of colonial and maritime themes. This annual event takes place from December 24th to New Year’s Day.

Nigeria

Òsun-Òsogbo Festival
One of Nigeria’s most revered spiritual festivals, it is a two-week celebration honouring the òrìsà Òsun.

United Kingdom

Good Grief Festival
A festival exploring grief, resilience, and hope.

Lifting the Lid Festival of Death and Dying
An annual, online international festival celebrating everything death and dying.

United States

Beaucoup Hoodoo Fest
An annual, New Orleans-based ATR (African traditional religions) fête, it is an interactive, multi-day gathering of priests, practitioners, scholars, and newbies.

Black Contemplative Prayer Virtual Summit
A gathering of Black spiritual teachers and thought leaders dedicated to contemplative prayer and practice within community.

Black Sacred Arts Conference
Presented by the Yale Institute of Sacred Music, the conference convenes scholars, practitioners, performers, and community-based religious leaders to explore Black sacred arts and spiritual expression.