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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Dan Ikpoyi and Chinedu Asadu

Benin's mecca of spirits and gods draws tourists and followers with famed Voodoo festival

Benin Ouidah
Benin Voodoo Festival - (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

As children dance with great speed and energy in colorful robes, guided by the drumbeats and chants from dance troupes, the gods and spirits that are evident all around the arena are beckoned upon by the old and young for peace and prosperity. And on the sidelines, camera clicks from foreigners and locals follow the festivities.

Welcome to the ancient town of Ouidah, in southern Benin, a mecca of gods and spirits where the celebration of the annual Voodoo festival brings a mix of tourism and religion in a clash of cultures and the ability for ancient traditional beliefs to adapt to modern life.

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