The Oyo State Governor is expected to attend the 2026 Saki Beere Festival as part of efforts to promote cultural heritage and strengthen tourism development in the state.
This was disclosed by the festival’s planning committee during a press conference held on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, at the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), Basorun, Ibadan.
The committee announced that the annual festival will hold from May 10 to 18, 2026, in Saki, Saki West Local Government Area, and extended greetings from the Okere of Saki, Oba Khalid Oyeniyi Oyedepo III, to the public.
The organisers appealed to both the federal and state governments to support ongoing efforts to elevate the age long festival into a major tourism attraction, noting that the monarch has remained committed to preserving the cultural and traditional heritage of the people.
They described the Beere Festival as a unifying platform that brings together sons and daughters of Saki, alongside friends and well wishers, in a celebration of communal living, while also providing an avenue for chiefs, baales and community leaders to reaffirm their allegiance to the Okere.
The committee explained that the festival is historically rooted in the communal re-roofing of the monarch’s palace using thatch, known as “Beere,” which also shaped environmental practices such as restrictions on bush burning and the requirement for farmers to create fire traces to prevent outbreaks.
The Planning Committee said that, the activities for the nine day event will begin with Ibori Day on May 10 and end with a grand finale on May 18 at the Oyo State Agricultural Development Agency Sports Complex, Saki.
Organisers expressed optimism that with increased government presence and support, the festival will not only sustain tradition but also gain wider recognition as a key cultural tourism asset in Oyo State.
