The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has announced the postponement of this year’s Odwira Festival, which was originally scheduled for October 31, 2025.

Speaking at a meeting of the Asanteman Council on Thursday, October 16, 2025, the Asantehene explained that it would be inappropriate to hold the festival in the absence of the Asantehemaa, as tradition dictates her crucial role in the celebrations.

He noted that the death of the late Asantehemaa, Nana Konadu Yiadom III, is a key reason for the postponement. In line with Asante custom, a successor must first be enstooled and the necessary stool rites performed at Wirempe before the festival can proceed.

“Tradition demands that a successor is enstooled and the requisite stool rites done at Wirempe,” Otumfuo Osei Tutu II emphasized.

The Asantehene added that a new date for the festival will be announced at the appropriate time.

The Odwira Festival, one of the most significant celebrations in the Asante Kingdom, is held annually to purify the people, communities, and ancestral stools through various traditional rites and cultural activities.