Amala Festival Limited, organisers of the established Amala Festival, has raised concerns over the emergence of another event promoted as “Amala Fest,” urging members of the public, sponsors, vendors and media organisations to verify the identity and organisers of events using the name.
The organisers, in a statement issued by Amala Festival Limited, said the clarification became necessary due to what they described as the increasing possibility of confusion and misrepresentation regarding the identity, origin and affiliation of the authentic Amala Festival.
According to the organisation, the Amala Festival was conceived, developed and first staged by Amala Festival Limited in 2022, with subsequent editions held annually. It stated that the 2026 edition represents the festival’s fifth outing.
The organisation further claimed that it had approached several media organisations, including 32FM, with proposals for media partnership and support for the festival since 2022. It therefore expressed concern over the emergence of an event bearing the name “Amala Fest” in 2025 and its presentation as an ÀMÀLÀ-focused festival.
Amala Festival Limited stressed that its concern was not simply about the use of words such as “Amala” or “Fest,” which it acknowledged could be ordinary terms. Rather, it said its concern centred on the overall presentation, positioning, similarities and circumstances surrounding the competing event, particularly where these could create the impression that it was affiliated with or authorised by Amala Festival Limited.
The organisers said they have extensive public records documenting the development and staging of the festival since 2022, including promotional materials, social media publications, photographs, videos, programmes, partnership correspondence and media engagements. They added that they were reviewing information contained in previous partnership proposals and communications and had sought professional legal advice on matters involving potential confidentiality concerns.
The organisation urged members of the public, sponsors, vendors, prospective partners and media organisations to carefully verify the organisers and official channels of any event presented as Amala Festival or bearing a confusingly similar identity. It said it was particularly concerned about conduct that could potentially amount to passing off, misrepresentation or unfair competition under Nigerian law, while reserving its legal rights and remedies.
Amala Festival Limited reaffirmed its commitment to the annual festival, describing it as more than a name but a platform built over years of investment, creativity and partnerships to celebrate ÀMÀLÀ, Yoruba food culture, gastronomy, entrepreneurship and the wider food economy. It encouraged the public to verify before attending, sponsoring, partnering with or promoting any event claiming affiliation with the established Amala Festival.
Excerpt from the press release below:
FROM PARTNERSHIP LETTERS TO ‘AMALA FEST’: AMALA FESTIVAL LIMITED QUESTIONS 32FM’S SUDDEN INTEREST IN A FESTIVAL IT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN APPROACHED TO SUPPORT
The Public Should Beware of Confusion Regarding Events Using the “Amala Fest” Name
Amala Festival Limited, the organisers and proprietors of the established Amala Festival, wish to formally alert members of the public, partners, vendors, sponsors, media organisations and lovers of ÀMÀLÀ to the existence of another event being promoted as “Amala Fest.”
We are making this clarification because of the increasing possibility of public confusion and misrepresentation regarding the identity, origin and affiliation of the authentic Amala Festival.
The Amala Festival was conceived, developed and first staged by our organisation in 2022, with subsequent editions held annually. The 2026 edition represents our 5th outing.
For several years, including from 2022, we also approached various media organisations, including 32FM, with proposals seeking media partnership and support for the Amala Festival. Those engagements formed part of our longstanding efforts to build partnerships around an event that we had already conceived, developed and consistently staged.
It is therefore concerning to us that an event bearing the name “Amala Fest” emerged in 2025 and is being presented as an ÀMÀLÀ-focused festival.
We recognise that words such as “Amala”, “Fest” and “Festival” may, in isolation, be ordinary words. Our concern, however, goes beyond the mere use of a word or abbreviation.
Our concern relates to the overall circumstances, presentation, positioning, public perception and similarities surrounding the competing event, particularly where such similarities may create an impression that the event is the established Amala Festival, an extension of it, or an event affiliated with or authorised by Amala Festival Limited.
OUR POSITION
Amala Festival Limited has established a significant body of public-facing records and digital footprints documenting the development and staging of the Amala Festival since 2022.
These include event announcements, promotional materials, social-media publications, photographs, videos, partnership correspondence, programmes, publicity materials, media engagements and other records associated with the festival’s development and successive editions.
We are also reviewing the circumstances surrounding information contained in previous partnership proposals and communications sent to prospective media and strategic partners.
Where information supplied to an organisation was provided in circumstances giving rise to an expectation of confidentiality, the use or reproduction of such information without authorisation may raise separate legal considerations. Our organisation is currently taking professional legal advice on this matter.
PROTECTING THE PUBLIC FROM CONFUSION
Our immediate objective is not to create unnecessary controversy. It is to ensure that members of the public are not misled or inadvertently led to believe that an event is the established Amala Festival when it is not.
Accordingly, members of the public, sponsors, vendors, prospective partners and media organisations are encouraged to carefully verify the organiser and official channels of any event presented as Amala Festival or bearing a confusingly similar identity.
The authentic Amala Festival is organised by Amala Festival Limited, and our official communications are issued through our established channels.
We are particularly concerned about any conduct which, in our view, may potentially amount to passing off, misrepresentation, unfair competition or other actionable conduct under applicable Nigerian law. These are matters currently being reviewed with our legal advisers, and we reserve all rights and remedies available to us.
OUR COMMITMENT
Amala Festival is more than a name. It represents years of work, investment, creativity, partnerships and commitment to celebrating ÀMÀLÀ, Yoruba food culture, gastronomy, entrepreneurship and the wider food economy.
We remain committed to delivering the authentic annual Amala Festival experience that our supporters, participants, vendors, partners and ÀMÀLÀ lovers have come to anticipate.
We therefore urge the public to verify before attending, partnering with, sponsoring or promoting any event claiming to represent or be affiliated with the Amala Festival.
This statement is issued in good faith to protect the public from potential confusion and to preserve the integrity and goodwill associated with the established Amala Festival.
Amala Festival Limited
Organisers of the Amala Festival since 2022
For media enquiries and official festival information: 08034055952
@amala_festival
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