Revellers from the nooks and crannies of Ghana and beyond, turned the streets and corners of Cape Coast into a city of jamboree on “Orange Friday”’ at the 2025 Fetu Afahye traditional festival

The principal streets of the historic city were brought to a standstill by the street carnival as thousands of enthusiastic citizens and expatriates from far and near poured onto the streets in revelry, jamming the streets and reducing them to endless orange streams of revellers.

The ecstatic celebrations began late afternoon with a colourful procession from Abura, winding through the heart of Oguaa, with crowds donning bright orange attire, singing, drumming and dancing with boundless joy.

Orange Friday, a vibrant day of procession, feast and frenzy, was introduced by the youth as a creative highlight of the Fetu Festival celebrated by the people of Cape Coast.

The day saw the celebrants drank to the pulp, dined and danced their hearts out.

As a celebration of history and culture, the carnival also saw several demonstrations including a vivid re-enactment of the slave trade as well as jaw-dropping stunts by some ebullient skaters.

Traffic was almost motionless, leaving many travellers stranded.

The parade climaxed at the Chapel Square, the historical site of Ghana’s oldest Methodist Church, where the crowd gathered in a sea of orange to mark the symbolic moment of unity.

By evening the streets throbbed with life as the aroma of grilled meat, the laughter of friends and the irresistible rhythm of Highlife, Azonto and Afrobeats filled the air.

Artists took turns on various stages, turning pubs and open spaces into concert grounds, while food vendors catered for the hungry crowd that refused to slow down.

As night fell, Oguaa remained choked with people, their spirits lifted by music, energy and the shared pride of heritage and youth creativity.

Kwame Asiedu Fourdjour, 34, a resident of Cape Coast, said: “Orange Friday is more than just a party, it’s a celebration of our roots. Seeing the streets filled with orange and people dancing together reminds me of the strength and unity in our culture.”

Abena Takyiwaa Anang-Adjetey, 26, from Accra, said: “It is my first time at the Fetu Festival, and Orange Friday has blown me away. The energy, the colours, the music, Cape Coast has come alive!

“And I feel like I am part of something truly special.”

Nana Kojo Afreh and his partner who participated in the procession, noted: “I came with my partner and two other siblings from Kumasi. I must be honest, we are over the moon, Orange Friday is a culture, the biggest youth carnival in Ghana.”

Orange Friday, once just an idea of the youth, has now become the pulse of the Fetu Festival, a celebration of identity, culture and the unyielding spirit of Cape Coast.