Music
Ciara Returns to Benin for Vodun Days in a Full-Circle Moment
Ciara returned to Benin for Vodun Days months after becoming a citizen, as the festival continues to position Ouidah as a key site of culture, history and remembrance.
Photo Credit: Ciara/Instagram
Ciara is back in Benin — this time on a much bigger stage. The Grammy-winning singer returned to the country in early January 2026 to perform at Vodun Days, just months after being granted Beninese citizenship, marking her first major public appearance in Benin since her naturalisation.
She was naturalised in July 2025 through a legal framework created to recognise people of African descent whose ancestors were deported from Africa during the transatlantic slave trade. The policy, overseen through the My Afro Origins platform, forms part of a broader state-led approach that combines remembrance, cultural heritage and diaspora engagement.
Vodun Days, held from 8 to 10 January 2026 in Ouidah, is one of the initiatives linked to this strategy. The festival was created to present vodun as a contemporary cultural and spiritual heritage, bringing together traditional ceremonies, artistic programming and international participation. Ouidah, a former slave port, has become central to Benin’s remembrance efforts, with sites such as the Slave Route and the Door of No Return frequently referenced within this framework.
Ciara had previously visited several of these memorial sites following her naturalisation. Her appearance at the 2026 edition of Vodun Days came as part of the festival’s international programme, which has featured artists including Angélique Kidjo and Davido in recent years.
She performed on 9 January, the second day of the event, before a large audience in Ouidah. Her set featured choreographed performances and structured stage production, with “Level Up” drawing a strong audience response as attendees joined in during the song.
Ciara attended the festival alongside her husband, former NFL quarterback Russell Wilson, who was visiting Benin for the first time. During Vodun Days, Wilson announced that he had begun the process of applying for Beninese citizenship under the same Afro-descendant initiative.
According to information from corroborating sources, Wilson’s application is being processed through the My Afro Origins programme. The initiative allows eligible applicants to establish ancestral links to sub-Saharan Africa and apply for nationality under defined legal and administrative criteria.
Vodun Days 2026 formed part of Benin’s wider efforts to position cultural heritage and historical remembrance as elements of its cultural and tourism strategy.
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