The Arena of Ouidah

The building covers some two thousand six hundred square metres. Its roof, metal and stretched fabric, draws lines that answer the waves of the nearby Atlantic, and it is raised so the sea breeze can pass while the stands stay shaded from the sun.

The detail that matters, however, is neither the capacity nor the roof. It is the ground. The central floor is natural sand, not concrete or grass. That choice makes possible what no slab would allow: driving in the bamboo masts of the Dawetin, the acrobatic dance of Ouidah in which performers rise and move fourteen metres above the ground. It also allows the direct contact with the earth that the rites require.

The circular space was designed for the masks. The public encircles the floor, which gives everyone the same view, and above all leaves the Zangbeto room to spin and the Egungun room to move while keeping the ritual distance that must separate them from the uninitiated. What the street makes difficult, the arena makes possible without taking anything from the rite.

The technical equipment also allows orchestras, traditional ensembles and international artists to perform here during the Vodun Days, as well as official ceremonies bringing together state authorities, dignitaries of the convents and delegations from the diaspora.

Its place in the itinerary follows naturally. The visitor comes down from the historic centre, follows the Slave Route to the shore, and arrives in this zone where the arena, the Door of No Return and the Ship of Departure stand together. After the silence of the memorial sites, the arena is where the town gathers and where the tradition shows itself alive.

Visitor protocol

• During mask outings, the instructions of the stewards override everything: they set the distance to keep.
• Never cross the edge of the central floor during a ritual performance.
• Photography and video according to the rules announced for each performance. What applies to a concert does not apply to a sacred outing.