The Lagos Voice set to partner with Itansan ArtFest 2026 to promote Yoruba heritage, youth creativity

By Oguadimma Chisom

The Lagos Voice is set to partner with the maiden edition of Itansan ArtFest 2026, a cultural festival designed to celebrate and promote Yoruba heritage through art, storytelling, performance, and youth engagement.

The festival is set to take place on May 22, 2026, at Adeline Hall, Lead City University, Ibadan, and will be anchored on the theme “Beacon of the Ancestors,” which aims to connect young people with Yoruba history, traditions, and indigenous cultural expression.

Speaking on the vision behind the initiative, Adekunle E. Adewunmi, the Executive Director of Itansan ArtFest, said the festival is designed to reconnect young people with their cultural roots.

“Our mission with Itansan is to create a platform that helps young people understand who we are and where we come from,” Adewunmi said.

He also promised to include an exclusive pre-event on March 22, 2026, where members of the press, influencers, and invited guests will receive an early preview of the festival, with the gathering serving as the official platform for announcing the festival’s core partners and collaborators.

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He also noted that one of the key highlights is the Inter-School Cultural and Art Competition, which will feature participation from secondary schools across Oyo State.

Also, the competition is designed to identify and celebrate emerging talents while encouraging students to express their cultural identity through indigenous art forms.

The festival will also feature the launch of the book Emissaries of the Gods (Iko Orisa), a publication dedicated to documenting ancestral narratives and traditional belief systems within Yoruba culture.

Another major highlight is The Performance, a full-scale stage production accompanied by a cultural fashion runway that will showcase designers whose works draw inspiration from indigenous symbolism, heritage aesthetics, and traditional textile artistry.

With The Lagos Voice as a partner, the organizers say the festival is poised to amplify conversations around culture, heritage preservation, and youth engagement through creative expression.