As preparations intensify for the 2026 Osun-Osogbo Festival, attention has turned to 10-year-old Princess Alimot Moredeke Ajoke Osunbunmi, the young royal maiden chosen to serve as the new Arugba, one of the most revered figures in the centuries-old Yoruba cultural and spiritual celebration.
Princess Alimot, a member of the royal family of the Ataoja of Osogbo, emerged as the Arugba following a traditional Ifa divination process conducted in March 2025. She succeeded Osuntomi Ewatomi, whose tenure came to an end after she got married, in line with the tradition that the Arugba must remain an unmarried maiden of royal lineage.
The position of Arugba is regarded as one of the most sacred roles in the annual Osun-Osogbo Festival. Traditionally, the Arugba serves as the symbolic link between devotees and the Osun River goddess, leading worshippers in a procession to the Osun Sacred Grove while bearing a sacred calabash containing ritual offerings. The grove, located in Osogbo, Osun State, is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Despite assuming the role at a young age, Princess Alimot did not carry the sacred calabash during the 2025 edition of the festival. Instead, the chief priest, Baba Osun (Adesina), carried the calabash while she led the procession to the sacred grove. Traditional custodians explained that the arrangement was made because of her age and the physical demands associated with carrying the ritual object, expressing confidence that she would assume the full responsibility as she grows older.
The Osun-Osogbo Festival, one of Nigeria’s oldest and most celebrated cultural festivals, attracts thousands of traditional worshippers, tourists and cultural enthusiasts from across the world each year. The 2026 edition is scheduled to hold from August 7 to August 19 and will feature traditional rites, cultural displays, music, dance and the iconic Arugba procession.
The festival traces its origins back more than 600 years and commemorates the covenant between the early settlers of Osogbo and the Osun River goddess, who, according to Yoruba tradition, promised to protect and bless the community in exchange for annual sacrifices and worship.
As the new Arugba, Princess Alimot is expected to play a central role in preserving one of Yoruba culture’s most enduring traditions while symbolising continuity between generations in the annual celebration of the Osun deity.
