Festivals · August · North East

Damba in Nalerigu

Mamprugu comes together

Damba is the biggest event of the year in Nalerigu, capital of the North East Region and seat of the Nayiri, overlord of Mamprugu. Chiefs from across the kingdom gather at his palace for three days of dances and royal drumming, and the Nayiri comes out at sunrise after a night of dancing. It falls in the lunar month of Damba, so it moves each year.

The Nayiri Palace in Nalerigu: a pink arcade with carved blue pillars under a sign reading Nayiri Palace
The Nayiri’s palace, where Damba gathersShahadusadik · CC BY-SA 4.0
When
The lunar month of Damba; the Mamprusi ritual calendar sets the day
Where
The Nayiri’s palace, Nalerigu, North East Region
Kept by
Mamprugu, led by the Nayiri
Lasts
Three days
Region
North East

What happens

“Damba”, or “Damma” in Mampruli, is said to mean “that we will come together”, and chiefs from all over Mamprugu do: a three-day reunion at the palace of the Nayiri.2 The palace is the seat of the overlord of Mamprugu and the centre of the celebrations.3

As described for the 2015 festival: on the first day the peoples of the area, among them Mamprusi, Bimoba and Frafra, perform their own dances. On the second, the senior royal drummer and his drummers sing the line of chiefs and their fathers, from the founder of Mamprugu to the Nayiri of today. On the third, people dance through the night until the Nayiri comes out with his entourage at sunrise; the chiefs are drawn out to dance one by one, and after about two hours he returns to the palace.2

When is Damba?

Damba is kept in the lunar month of Damba, which marks the birth and naming of the Prophet Muhammad, though today it is mostly a celebration of chieftaincy.1 In Nalerigu the day follows the Mamprusi ritual calendar, so it is hard to know far ahead; the 2015 festival ran from 1 to 3 January.2 Because the lunar year is shorter, it comes about eleven days earlier each year.

Damba is also kept by Dagbon at Yendi and Tamale, and in Gonja and Wa: see Damba.

Good to know if you go

  • Where: Nalerigu is the capital of the North East Region, east of Walewale. See the North East page for places nearby.
  • The palace: entry is by arrangement through a local representative, and it is customary to bring a gift of kola.3
  • Check the dates: they are announced close to the day. Ask locally or follow local radio.
  • Respect the rites: some rituals are sacred and not for cameras. Ask before photographing chiefs, priests or anyone taking part, and follow what the ushers ask.

Questions people ask

What is Damba in Nalerigu?

The great annual gathering of Mamprugu at the Nayiri’s palace in Nalerigu: three days of dances and royal drumming, with chiefs from across the kingdom.

When is Damba in Nalerigu?

In the lunar month of Damba, on a day set by the Mamprusi ritual calendar. It moves about eleven days earlier each year.

Sources

  1. “Damba Festival | July – August”, National Commission on Culture, 28 March 2025.
  2. “Videos from Nalerigu’s 2015 Damba Festival”, Baptist Medical Centre, Nalerigu.
  3. “Nayiri Palace: the cultural heart of Mamprugu in Nalerigu”, Ghana Remembers, 12 November 2025.

Last checked 16 October 2026. Spotted something wrong or know this year’s dates? Tell us.

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