Vodun Days 2027: Dates, Costs and How to Plan From Abroad

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Last January, 740,668 people came to Ouidah for Vodun Days, up 70% in a year, and about one in five came from outside Benin. In 2027 the festival grows from three days to eight. Benin’s government made the change for one group in particular: diaspora visitors who fly home for New Year and usually have to leave before the ceremonies start.

If that sounds like you, this guide covers the dates, what changed, what the trip really costs from North America and Europe at New Year prices, and what to book first.

Vodun Days 2027 at a glance

  • Dates: Saturday 2 January to Saturday 9 January 2027
  • Where: Ouidah, about 40 km west of Cotonou (around an hour by car)
  • Peak days: 7, 8 and 9 January. Thursday 7 and Friday 8 January are public holidays in Benin.
  • Entry: the processions, squares and Vodun Days Village are open to the public. Some concerts and premium areas may need a ticket through the official shop at boutique.vodundays.bj.
  • Nearest airport: Cardinal Bernardin Gantin Airport, Cotonou (COO)
  • Visa: e-visa from €50 for most non-African passports
  • Our trip estimate: about US$2,300 to US$5,450 per person from North America for eight nights, or about US$2,050 mid-range from Europe

What changed for 2027

Vodun Days used to run for three days around 10 January. Under a 2024 law, Benin’s national day for traditional religions now falls on the second Friday of January, with the Thursday before it also a holiday. In 2027 that is 7 and 8 January.

Because 1 January 2027 falls on a Friday, the government extended the festival to start on 2 January. Its spokesperson said the aim is to let diaspora visitors who come home for the holidays stay on for the festival, and to spread the crowds over more days. Only 7 and 8 January are public holidays. Monday 4 to Wednesday 6 January are normal working days, so banks and government offices are open.

That matters if you are combining the trip with paperwork, such as a nationality file or opening a bank account. You get three working days inside the festival week.

When to arrive for Vodun Days 2027

The full week (arrive 1 or 2 January, leave 10 January). You see the opening programme, visit the Sacred Forest of Kpassè and the Python Temple before the crowds arrive, and stay for the peak. This is the trip the government designed the new dates for, and it is the one we costed below.

Peak only (arrive 5 or 6 January, leave 10 January). Fewer nights, but you arrive when rooms are hardest to find and prices are highest. Cheaper overall, though not by as much as you might expect.

Festival plus roots trip (two to three weeks). Spend the festival week in Ouidah, then use Cotonou as a base for Ganvié, Porto-Novo and Abomey. If you are applying for, or finishing, Afro-descendant nationality, this is the version that leaves time for appointments. See our Benin Afro-descendant citizenship guide and how we got the certificate in 87 days.

What Vodun Days 2027 costs

Most online guides quote €750 to €1,500 all in. That works from Europe. It does not work from North America over New Year, when fares to Cotonou are at their highest. In late October 2026, Air France was showing round trips from New York to Cotonou over the holidays at about US$2,100 to US$2,400. Royal Air Maroc had Paris to Cotonou around the festival dates from about €573.

Here is what eight nights cost per person, flying from North America, at three levels of comfort.

Cost (per person, US$)LeanMid-rangeComfort
Round-trip flight1,5002,1002,400
E-visa606090
Lodging, 8 nights2755601,200
Local transport60150400
Food120240480
Tours, entry fees, SIM, souvenirs80200400
10% buffer210330500
Totalabout 2,300about 3,650about 5,450

How we built these numbers. Lean assumes flexible dates or a longer routing, the furnished tent at the official campsite (XOF 20,000 a night in 2026), shared taxis and the festival shuttle, and street food. Mid-range assumes a guesthouse at about US$70 a night, a few ride-hail trips and sit-down meals. Comfort assumes a hotel at about US$150 a night, a car with a driver most days and the multiple-entry visa. We convert CFA francs at XOF 580 to the dollar. Festival prices for 2027 are not published yet, so treat these as planning figures, not quotes.

From Europe, the mid-range trip comes to about US$2,050, because the flight drops to around US$650. That lines up with the €750 to €1,500 figure other guides use for a shorter stay.

Not in the table: a yellow fever vaccination if you do not already have one. It is required to enter Benin, and clinic prices vary a lot, so check before you book.

Plan the money before you book

A trip like this is easy to underbudget: one fare jump, an extra night in Cotonou, cash running out before the peak days. Our Travel Money Command Center is the spreadsheet we built for exactly this. It tracks your trip budget, your daily burn rate and how many days your money lasts, in more than one currency.

Get the Travel Money Command Center (CA$29)

Visa and entry

Most visitors from outside Africa need an e-visa. Apply only on the official portal, evisa.bj, where the government fees are:

  • 30 days, single entry: €50
  • 30 days, multiple entry: €75
  • 90 days, multiple entry: €100

Benin has visa exemption agreements with many countries, and most African passport holders can enter without a visa. Check the Benin foreign ministry’s list before you pay. Lookalike sites charge more for the same visa.

If your Afro-descendant nationality is still in progress, plan to travel on your current passport with an e-visa. A certificate is not a travel document.

You also need a yellow fever vaccination certificate. Talk to a travel clinic about malaria tablets at least three weeks before you fly.

Where to stay for Vodun Days 2027

Book Ouidah now. Ouidah is a small town, and by October 2025 local press were reporting that its hotels were already full for the January 2026 edition. With eight days instead of three, demand will spread out, but rooms for 7 to 9 January will still go first.

Your three options:

  • Ouidah hotels and guesthouses. Closest to everything. Off-season rooms start around US$25 a night, but festival week costs far more, and the best-known places fill first.
  • The Vodun Days campsite. In 2026 the official campsite charged XOF 7,000 a night with your own tent, or XOF 20,000 for a furnished, lit tent, booked through boutique.vodundays.bj. The 2027 campsite and its prices had not been confirmed at the time of writing.
  • Cotonou. More rooms, more choice, and about an hour from Ouidah by car. The organisers run a public shuttle between the two cities during the festival, and ride-hail (VTC) services operate too. Expect slow traffic on the peak days.

Money on the ground

Benin uses the West African CFA franc (XOF), pegged to the euro at 655.957 francs per euro. Euros are the easiest currency to change. Bring a mix of cash and a card, and do not rely on card payments in Ouidah during the festival, where most small sellers want cash or mobile money.

To see what your dollars, pounds or Canadian dollars are worth before you go, use our currency converter. If family in Benin is helping you on the ground, compare transfer costs in our Africa remittance comparison.

Respect the ceremonies

Vodun is a living religion, not a show put on for visitors. Processions, concerts and the Village are open to everyone, but some rites happen inside convents or in spaces where non-initiates watch from a distance. Ask before you photograph anyone in a ceremony, and never point a camera at someone in trance. A local guide from the Vodun community will explain what you are seeing and when it is fine to film.

Selling at Vodun Days: deadlines in November

If you live in Benin, or have just moved there, the festival is also a business opportunity. In 2026, the businesses trading around the festival sites took in about six times their usual daily revenue, according to Benin’s statistics institute. The 2027 calls are open now:

  • Food Court at Place Maro: closes 10 November 2026, 5:30 pm. Only for food businesses legally registered in Benin with at least a year of activity.
  • Village stands for artisans, creators and merchants: close 16 November 2026 at inscriptions.vodundays.bj.
  • Media and content creator accreditation: closes 1 December 2026.

Before you apply, run your numbers in our free Vodun Days Stand Profit Calculator. It shows your profit, your break-even point and how many sales you need each day.

Your Vodun Days 2027 checklist

  • Now: book lodging in Ouidah or Cotonou, and price your flights.
  • By 10 and 16 November: apply for a Food Court or Village stand if you plan to sell.
  • November: check your yellow fever certificate and book a travel clinic visit.
  • December: apply for your e-visa on evisa.bj. Check vodundays.bj for the detailed programme and any ticketed events.
  • 1 or 2 January: arrive for the full week.
  • 7 to 9 January: the heart of the festival in Ouidah.

For everything else on moving to or investing in Benin, start at our Benin hub. If you are thinking about staying longer than a festival, the Benin Relocation Budget Calculator shows what it costs to live there.

FAQ

When is Vodun Days 2027?

From 2 to 9 January 2027 in Ouidah, Benin. It runs eight days instead of the usual three. The peak is 7 to 9 January, and 7 and 8 January are public holidays.

Why is Vodun Days 2027 longer than usual?

Benin’s government extended it so diaspora visitors who come home for New Year can stay for the festival. It also spreads the crowds over more days. The extension applies to the 2027 edition.

Is Vodun Days free to attend?

The processions, squares and Vodun Days Village are open to the public. Some concerts, VIP areas and the campsite are paid through the official shop, boutique.vodundays.bj.

How much does a trip to Vodun Days 2027 cost?

From North America, about US$2,300 (lean) to US$5,450 (comfort) per person for eight nights, with flights the biggest cost. From Europe, a mid-range trip is about US$2,050.

Do I need a visa for Benin?

Most visitors from outside Africa need an e-visa from evisa.bj: €50 for 30 days single entry, €75 for 30 days multiple entry, or €100 for 90 days multiple entry. Many African passport holders do not need one.

Where should I stay for Vodun Days?

Ouidah if you can find a room, the official campsite if it runs again, or Cotonou, about an hour away, with the festival shuttle. Book early, because Ouidah fills months ahead.

Can I sell at Vodun Days 2027?

Yes, if you apply in time. Food Court applications close on 10 November 2026 and Village stand applications on 16 November 2026. The Food Court is only for food businesses registered in Benin.

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