Some of Ghana’s most memorable journeys are the ones taken for a festival. Drums carry down the streets, Asafo companies parade in their colours, and whole communities turn out in cloth and beads to mark harvests, histories and the traditional calendar. The trade-off is that these days draw large crowds into small towns with narrow roads and very little parking. Every CarRentalGH hire includes a professional driver, so you can focus on the celebration while someone who knows the roads handles the route, the traffic and where to park. Below are six festivals in and around our service area, from Greater Accra to the central coast and the Akuapem hills, with practical notes on timing and travel. Festival dates follow traditional calendars and change from year to year, so treat the months here as a guide and confirm locally before you plan.
What it is. Homowo is the harvest festival of the Ga people, and its name carries its story: “hooting at hunger”. It remembers a past famine and gives thanks for a good harvest, so the celebration is as much about remembrance and community as it is about feasting. A central moment is the ritual sprinkling of kpokpoi, a traditional maize dish, which marks the wider season of shared celebration.
When and where. Homowo is traditionally held around August and September in Ga communities across Accra, with the old Ga towns of central Accra and the coastal suburbs at its heart. Some traditional restrictions on drumming and noise apply in the lead-up to the main days, so follow the guidance of the local palace and listen to your driver’s advice on where it is appropriate to go.
Why a driver helps.
Respect tip: ask before photographing elders, shrines or ceremonies, and dress modestly when you move through the community.
Pre-book a car with a driver or a Kotoka airport pickup — fixed price, agreed before you land.
What it is. Chale Wote is a street art and culture festival that turns the lanes of Jamestown into an open-air gallery. Murals, installations, live music, performance and spoken word take over public spaces, bringing local artists and visitors together in a neighbourhood with deep roots in Accra’s history.
When and where. The festival is usually held around August in Jamestown, a historic fishing community near the old lighthouse on the coast. The programme changes from year to year, so check the current line-up before you choose a day.
Why a driver helps. Jamestown’s lanes are tight, and vehicle access is limited around the event areas. A driver can take you to the nearest workable drop-off, keep the car out of the busiest lanes and collect you at a time you agree on. For a group of friends or family, going with a driver also means nobody in the group has to stay sober just to get home.
Respect tip: Jamestown is a working community first. Ask before photographing residents, and keep to the marked event routes so that local life can carry on around the festival.
What it is. Aboakyer, the “deer hunt”, is one of Ghana’s best-known traditional contests. It is held in Winneba in the Central Region, where two traditional groups compete in a hunt through the bush. The event is bound up with the town’s shrine traditions and its sense of identity, so it is a serious ritual occasion as well as a dramatic spectacle.
When and where. Aboakyer is usually held on the first Saturday in May. Winneba sits on the coast west of Accra. From central Accra the drive is usually around an hour and a half to two hours, depending on traffic. From Kasoa the journey is considerably shorter.
Why a driver helps.
Respect tip: stay behind the marshals and in the designated viewing areas. Do not enter the bush or the shrine areas unless the organisers invite you to.
What it is. Asafotufiami is a festival of the Ada people, held in the Ada area where the Volta River meets the sea. It brings the town’s Asafo companies to the fore, with their flags, drumming and dancing, alongside processions and community gatherings. The exact history and sequence of events is best explained by local elders, who are the right people to ask.
When and where. The festival is usually held around August. Ada lies in the Greater Accra Region at the mouth of the Volta, a long morning’s drive east of central Accra in normal traffic.
Why a driver helps.
Respect tip: when Asafo companies process past, step aside. Do not block their path or stand in front of the drummers.
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What it is. Odwira is the traditional festival of the Akuapem state. Its name means cleansing, and it is associated with the purification of the state and the new season of harvest, with the new yam at its centre. It is a period of ritual, reflection and celebration, closely tied to the traditional leadership and the ancestors. Because it is a serious occasion for the people of Akuapem, visitors should watch and listen more than they perform.
When and where. Odwira is traditionally held around September and October in the Akuapem hills, with Akropong and nearby Aburi at the heart of the celebrations. The hills are often an hour or more from central Accra, and the road climbs through winding stretches that are slower than the flat coastal highway.
Why a driver helps.
Respect tip: ask before photographing traditional leaders or the stool, and follow the instructions of the palace marshals at all times.
What it is. Panafest, the Pan-African Historical Theatre Festival, is a cultural gathering in Cape Coast that brings together performance, discussion and commemoration. Ghana also marks Emancipation Day in early August, with events in the central coastal towns. Both occasions bring the history of the transatlantic slave trade into focus. Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, are part of that story, and a visit to either is a sombre and important experience.
When and where. Panafest is held periodically rather than every year, so check the current schedule before you plan. Emancipation Day falls in early August. Cape Coast and Elmina are usually around three hours west of Accra by road, depending on traffic and stops, and both sit on the central coast within our service area.
Why a driver helps.
Respect tip: the castles are places of memory. Dress modestly, keep your voice low inside, and listen carefully to guides who share their families’ history.
Planning a festival trip? Send us your dates, the festival you have in mind and your group size on WhatsApp at +233 24 915 1503, or email info@carrentalgh.com. We will suggest the right vehicle and driver for the day, and confirm the exact timing once the festival dates are known.