Vodundays · Ouidah, Benin

Vodun Days 2027 programme, day by day

Vodun Days 2027 takes place on 7, 8 and 9 January in Ouidah, with the Grand Ceremony on Friday the 8th. The After Vodundays programme runs from 6 to 10 January: a day of preparation before, a day of rare access after.

Verified on 24 July 2026

Dates verified against law no. 2024-32 of 2 September 2024 and the calendar of the 2025 and 2026 editions. The second Friday of January 2027 falls on the 8th. Next check when the official programme is published by the Beninese state.

The five days

  1. The day that separates arrival from truly entering Ouidah. It looks like nothing and it changes everything: you do not discover a sacred city by stepping off a plane.

    • Welcome at Cotonou airport and accompanied transfer to Ouidah.
    • Introduction to the Fon language and to local usage: the words that open doors, and those one does not say.
    • Free walk through the town as it prepares, before the crowds arrive.
    • Evening gathering around the fire, meeting the guides and the team.

  2. First official day, a public holiday in Benin. Before understanding the ceremonies, you have to understand the ground they take place on.

    • Historic circuit of Ouidah with our certified Vodun guides.
    • The places that give meaning to everything else: the Auction Square, the Slave Route, the Door of No Return.
    • Official opening of the Vodun Days across the town.
    • Evening debrief: what you saw, and what the scene does not say.

  3. The second Friday of January, set by law no. 2024-32. This is the day the whole nation observes, in the presence of the high dignitaries of the cult.

    • The Grand Vodun Ceremony, with dignitaries and delegations present.
    • Vodun circuit and dialogue with the guarantors of the tradition.
    • Sacred outings through the streets of old Ouidah: Zangbeto, Egungun, Hounvè.
    • Evening debrief: who came out, why at that hour, and what each movement means.

  4. The last official day moves to the shore, where the memory of the slave trade and the celebration meet without merging.

    • National Day on the beach of Ouidah.
    • International stage: the tradition and its diaspora on the same platform.
    • Encounters with the convents and collectivities present.
    • Last evening debrief of the official core.

  5. This is the day our participants mention most in their accounts. The sites empty, and what stayed closed during the crowds opens a little.

    • Gléxwé circuit and visit to the royal palaces of Ouidah.
    • Conversations with the crowned heads, away from the cameras.
    • Vodun Vibes evening: traditional ballets, Gangan orchestra, DJ sets.
    • Closing, and the opening onto what follows for those who stay longer.

The precise timings of the official ceremonies are published by the Beninese state as the event approaches. We update this page as soon as they appear, rather than putting forward a schedule no one can yet guarantee.

Who accompanies you

Operator

ONG Wa Afriki, N°0108/MISP, registered in Benin. 65% of revenue returned to the local actors of Ouidah.

Guidance

Certified Vodun guides, trained alongside the FRABO N°030/MISP, historians and the guarantors of the tradition. Teams of 10 in Standard, of 5 in VIP.

Commitment

The Pact of Ouidah frames your booking. Your place is secured, and the commitment remains reversible under its terms.

About ONG Wa Afriki →

Frequently asked questions

What are the exact dates of Vodun Days 2027?

Vodun Days 2027 takes place on 7, 8 and 9 January in Ouidah. Law no. 2024-32 of 2 September 2024 sets the National Day of traditional religions on the second Friday of January and the Thursday preceding it. In 2027, that second Friday falls on 8 January. The After Vodundays programme itself runs from 6 to 10 January.

Do you need to arrive on 6 January?

It is not required, and yet it is the day we recommend most. The 6th is for arriving, finding your bearings, learning the few words of Fon that change the welcome you receive, and seeing Ouidah before the crowds arrive. Those who skip it enter the ceremonies without a key to read them.

What exactly happens on 8 January?

8 January is the statutory day, the one set by law. It is the Grand Ceremony, in the presence of the high dignitaries of the cult and of the delegations. It is also the day when sacred outings multiply through the streets of old Ouidah. Most visitors pass through it without measuring its weight: that is precisely where our guides come in.

Can you attend the ceremonies without a guide?

Yes. The official sites are public and the Beninese state deploys a considerable reception system there. The question is not access, it is understanding. Without someone to tell you who has come out, why at that hour and what each movement means, you will see a spectacle where something else is taking place.

Is 10 January included?

10 January is optional and falls outside the official calendar. It is also the day our participants mention most in their accounts: the sites empty, the royal palaces open, and conversations with the crowned heads happen without cameras. The Vodun Vibes evening closes the programme.

Places are counted in teams, not in seats.

Our teams are deliberately limited to ten people in Standard and five in VIP. Once formed, they do not grow. That is what allows a guide to speak to you, rather than keep watch over you.

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