The Lagos State Government has declared Thursday as a work-free day for public servants, political appointees and others in celebration of the 2026 Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day, which is expected to be the largest single gathering of traditional worshippers anywhere in the world, with over three million residents joining the celebration.

In a statement personally signed on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Idris Aregbe, described the day as “bigger than a holiday on a calendar.”

“Ìṣẹ̀ṣe is not a relic. It is a living expression of our traditions and a celebration of Yoruba spirituality as an important part of Nigeria’s cultural and religious landscape,” he said.

He said the Yorubas are one of Africa’s largest ethnic nations, with more than 55 million people globally, and noted that they have continued to preserve and pass on Yoruba culture to their children.

According to him, the strength of that tradition has helped sustain Ìṣẹ̀ṣe festivals in Cuba, Brazil, and the Caribbean, where many Yorubas live outside Africa to this day.

“When the drums sound in Lagos on Thursday, they answer drums in Havana, in Salvador, in Port of Spain. Fifty-five million people and counting. Lagos is not observing a local holiday. Lagos is standing at the centre of a global heritage,” Aregbe said.

Ìsese Day marks the culmination of a full week of traditional activities, and has been observed as a work-free day in Lagos since 2023, following a request from the Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs.

Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has upheld the observance every year, in line with the administration’s commitment to indigenous values and religious inclusiveness under the THEMES+ Agenda.

Aregbe expressed appreciation to Sanwo-Olu for his support, while also paying tribute to the traditional institution.

“We thank His Excellency, Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu. It takes real conviction for a leader to stand publicly with heritage, and he has done so without hesitation and without apology. We also bow to Kábíyèsí, the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu I, foremost custodian of Lagos culture, to all our royal fathers, our revered White Cap Chiefs, our Babaláwo and Ìyánífá, our Olóòrìṣà and every custodian and promoter who kept these rites alive when it was neither fashionable nor convenient. Governments come and go. Custodians carry the culture,” he said.

This year’s celebrations will feature prayers, rituals, processions, drumming and cultural displays dedicated to the Òrìṣà, coordinated by the Association of African Traditional Religion Nigeria and Overseas (AATREN).

Aregbe urged all participants to celebrate peacefully and respectfully.

“Three million voices rising in honour of tradition is not noise. It is history, faith and cultural pride in harmony. Whether you worship in a mosque, a church or a grove, Ìṣẹ̀ṣe Day belongs to you, because heritage has no denomination. Lagos remains the city where every heritage finds its place.”