The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has announced the postponement of this year’s Odwira Festival, which was originally scheduled for 31 October 2025.
Speaking at a meeting of the Asanteman Council in Kumasi on Thursday, the king said the festival could not be held without the presence of the Asantehemaa (Queen Mother), who plays a key role in traditional rites.
Nana Konadu Yiadom III, the late Asantehemaa, passed away recently. According to Asante custom, a new Queen Mother must be enstooled and the appropriate stool rites performed at Wirempe before the festival can proceed.
“Tradition demands that a successor is enstooled and the requisite stool rites done,” Otumfuo Osei Tutu II said.
The Odwira Festival is one of the most important cultural celebrations in the Asante Kingdom. It involves rituals to purify the land, people, and ancestral stools, and is typically marked by colourful ceremonies and community gatherings.
A new date for the festival will be announced in due course.
