Hogbetsotso: the festival of the exodus
Every November the Anlo Ewe of the Volta Region remember an ancestral escape told through backward footprints. Here's the story behind Hogbetsotso, and how to experience it.
The short answer
- Hogbetsotso is the great festival of the Anlo Ewe people of Ghana's Volta Region, centred on Anloga and usually held on the first Saturday of November.
- It commemorates the ancestors' escape from the tyrant king Agokoli at Notsie (in present-day Togo) — famously by walking backward to disguise their tracks.
- The festival includes a period of peace-making and reconciliation, and a ritual cleansing of the traditional stools and community.
- The climax is a spectacular durbar of chiefs in full regalia, with drumming, Ewe dancing and huge crowds.
- It's a chance to pair a major cultural event with the Volta Region's scenery — waterfalls, hills and the lagoon coast.
- Confirm the date each year and attend respectfully, ideally with a guide who can explain the history and rites.
At a glance
| Whose festival | Anlo Ewe of the Volta Region |
|---|---|
| When | Usually first Saturday of November |
| Where | Anloga, near the Keta lagoon coast |
| Remembers | The escape from Notsie |
| Key rites | Peace-making & cleansing |
| Climax | A grand durbar of chiefs |
What Hogbetsotso remembers
Hogbetsotso Za — the 'festival of the exodus' or migration — is the major annual festival of the Anlo Ewe people of Ghana's southeastern Volta Region. It commemorates one of the great stories of Ewe history: the ancestors' flight from Notsie, a walled town in present-day Togo, to escape the cruelty of King Agokoli. According to tradition, they slipped away by walking backward, so their footprints seemed to lead into the town rather than out of it — a clever escape now woven into the festival's identity.
The festival is both a remembrance of that journey and a celebration of Ewe identity, unity and survival. It's one of the standout events in our festival calendar, and a wonderful reason to visit the often-overlooked Volta Region.
Peace-making and cleansing
Beyond the celebration, Hogbetsotso carries serious ritual weight. It traditionally includes a period of peace-making and reconciliation, during which communities settle disputes and restore harmony before the festival proper — a striking custom of collective repair. There is also a ceremonial cleansing, including the purification of the traditional stools (the sacred symbols of chiefly authority) and of the community, to enter the new season renewed.
These rites give the festival a depth beyond spectacle — it's a time of putting things right as much as of feasting and dancing. Understanding them beforehand, or with a guide, makes attending far more meaningful. Our etiquette guide helps you observe respectfully.
The durbar
The visual climax is the grand durbar of chiefs. The paramount chief and sub-chiefs of the Anlo state appear in magnificent regalia, many carried in palanquins beneath state umbrellas, amid a sea of drumming, horns and energetic Ewe dancing. Thousands gather — locals, the Ewe diaspora returning home, and visitors — turning Anloga into a blaze of colour and sound for the day.
It's a superb window into the chieftaincy, music and dance of the Ewe, and a photographer's dream — with permission and respect. If you attend, the durbar is the moment to aim for.
Visiting: combine it with the Volta
Hogbetsotso is celebrated in and around Anloga, the traditional Anlo capital, near the Keta lagoon coast in the southeast — see our Keta and eastern Volta coast guide. This corner of Ghana is beautiful and under-visited, so the festival pairs naturally with exploring the wider region: the waterfalls and hills inland, and the Volta estuary and Ada on the way.
Experiencing it well
As with all Ghanaian festivals, Hogbetsotso is a living tradition rather than a tourist show, and its rites of reconciliation and cleansing are deeply meaningful to the Anlo. Attend as a respectful guest: dress modestly, ask before photographing people and ceremonies, follow local guidance, and take the time to learn the history so the day means something to you. A knowledgeable guide who can explain the story and rites transforms the experience.
Questions people ask
What is the Hogbetsotso festival?
Hogbetsotso (the 'festival of the exodus') is the major annual festival of the Anlo Ewe people of Ghana's Volta Region, centred on Anloga. It commemorates the ancestors' escape from the tyrant King Agokoli at Notsie in present-day Togo, and celebrates Ewe identity and unity, combining ritual peace-making and cleansing with a grand durbar of chiefs.
When is Hogbetsotso celebrated?
Usually on the first Saturday of November, in and around Anloga in the southeastern Volta Region. As with all traditional festivals, confirm the current date before planning your trip, as it can be adjusted.
Why did the Ewe walk backward at Notsie?
According to tradition, the Anlo Ewe ancestors escaped the walled town of Notsie and the cruelty of King Agokoli by walking backward, so their footprints appeared to lead into the town rather than away from it, disguising the direction of their flight. This clever escape is central to the Hogbetsotso story.
Where does Hogbetsotso take place?
In Anloga, the traditional capital of the Anlo state, near the Keta lagoon coast in Ghana's southeastern Volta Region. It's a beautiful, under-visited corner of the country, so the festival pairs well with exploring the wider Volta Region.
What happens at the Hogbetsotso durbar?
The durbar is the festival's colourful climax: the paramount chief and sub-chiefs appear in full regalia, many carried in palanquins under state umbrellas, amid drumming, horns and energetic Ewe dancing, with thousands of locals, diaspora and visitors gathered. It's a vivid display of Ewe chieftaincy, music and dance.
Can visitors attend Hogbetsotso?
Yes, visitors are welcome to witness it respectfully. Confirm the date, book accommodation and transport early as crowds are large and local lodging is limited, dress modestly, and ask before photographing people and ceremonies. A guide who can explain the history and rites greatly deepens the experience.
What I know about Ghanaian travel comes from doing it: filing passport and visa applications, booking flights and hotels, collecting people from arrivals at two in the morning, and driving the Accra, Tema, Cape Coast and Kumasi runs week after week. Where this guide describes how something works, it is because we have done it.
Rules, fees and timetables in Ghana change. I have deliberately not quoted figures that go stale — where a number matters I name the office to confirm it with. If you spot something out of date, tell me and we will fix it.
Related guides.
Food & cultureGhana's festival calendar
What each of Ghana's major festivals actually involves, roughly when in the year it falls, and why you should never book flights against a date you read online.
Places & itinerariesThe Volta Region
Ghana's green, hilly east rewards travellers who slow down, and this guide covers the falls, the peak, the monkeys and the lake without pretending it all fits in a day.
Places & itinerariesKeta and the eastern Volta coast
Ghana's eastern coast runs along a sandbar between a vast lagoon and the Atlantic, and this guide covers the fort, the birds, the salt and the driving.
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