Wale Sanyaolu
The first ever Golibe Festival will be holding in the commercial city of Onitsha this Yuletide.
The Festival Committee has set December 23, 2018, to 1st of January 2019 as date for the cultural fiesta.
The festival, which aims to provide a unique end-of-year celebration event in the economic hub of eastern Nigeria, will bring together residents of Anambra and entire South Eastern States and visiting
indigenes from the diaspora.
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This announcement was made at a recent press briefing in Lagos. Amalunweze Francis Anatogu, Chairman Organising Committee, explains, “In local parlance, Golibe simply means ‘To Rejoice’. “The Golibe Festival will be a world-class entertainment experience for 10 days in Onitsha. Our objective is to provide the grandest entertainment experience in Eastern Nigeria; it will be packed with everything from music to art to culture, dance, food and fun activities for all ages,” he added.
“The timing is key as end-of-year is the period of celebration and thanksgiving globally. For people of Eastern Nigeria, it is a period of homecoming. So, Golibe Festival will make family and friends reunions a lot of fun.
It provides opportunities to introduce our customs, traditions, language, food, arts and craft to the indigenes in the diaspora and to those seeking new thrills. Besides entertainment, Golibe Festival will contribute to the local economy and project local businesses and talents.”
With an estimated 100,000 attendees, the festival provides a major opportunity for companies and small business owners to boost their brand visibility, encourage product and service trial and sell their products.
Golibe Festival packs an exciting schedule with key activities, like an open palace visitation to the Obi of Onitsha on 23rd of December.
The Opening Ceremony will take place on 24th December to be hosted by the Obi of Onitsha, HRM Alfred Achebe, CFR, mni, with dignitaries from Onitsha, Anambra State and across Nigeria.
Also scheduled for 24th December is the grand finale of the Christmas Carol competition featuring various choir, music groups and solo singers.
The finals of the Village Football Competition, featuring young talent in the city, will hold on 26th December. An exciting funfair, featuring arcade games and entertainment for children and
teenagers, will open on the 25th December and run until 31st December.
Kicking off on the 25th of December, a live Music Concert, scheduled to run for six days, will feature live music performances with some of Nigeria’s biggest music stars and a slew of up and coming artistes, culminating at a spectacular firework display at midnight on the 1st of January.
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In addition, the Golibe Festival Carnival will hold on the 29th of December, and will feature floats from villages, age grades and other groups from Onitsha and around the world.
The Golibe Festival Committee has also partnered with an award-winning production house to produce a stellar, theatrical production, infusing elements of Onitsha –past, present, and future. The festival will also feature video documentaries about the Onitsha people, history, culture and traditions, cultural dances, arts and crafts exhibition, master classes on local food and drinks, and lots more.
To ease travel and logistics constraints, the Golibe Festival committee has also confirmed that transportation services, hotels and bed & breakfasts for out-of-town visitors will be will pre-qualified
and registered.
The Golibe Festival is endorsed by the Obi of Onitsha, HRM Alfred Achebe, and backed by the Obi-in-Council, relevant local governments and the government of Anambra State.