Odweanoma Mountain in the Kwahu region of the Eastern Region is the official site of the 2026 Kwahu Easter Paragliding Festival.
Activities began on April 3, 2026, with both domestic and foreign competitors taking to the sky.
During the opening ceremony, Mr. Effah Osei Bonsu, the Chief Executive of Kwahu South Municipality, greeted attendees and described the region’s distinctive hills and favourable wind conditions as perfect for paragliding.
While praising the organisers, volunteers, and stakeholders for their contributions to the event, he asked guests to follow safety procedures and enjoy the Easter celebrations to the fullest. “Welcome once again to Kwahu South on behalf of the municipality,” he remarked.
The Ghana Tourism Authority organised the event, which drew early visitors to the highland location to see the beginning of the yearly Easter spectacular.
Two European volunteers located in Abetifi joined the activities on the first day and were among the first to take off.
Before making it through his flight, Bram, a Dutch national on a year-long volunteer posting, had a nervous beginning. As spectators watched from the brink of the cliff, he aborted his first two attempts at takeoff, with his tandem pilot resetting each time.
He eventually took off and flew over the Kwahu countryside on his third attempt, notably with a shoe that had fallen shortly before takeoff.
After publicly voicing her concerns, Minerva, an Italian volunteer who was also stationed in Abetifi, took off later.
Before takeoff, she told reporters, “I am afraid because I have to run down the cliff, but I’ve talked to people who did it last year and they said it’s amazing. So I’m going to do it.”
She made it through the flight without any problems.
The two volunteers explained that information about the celebration was mostly disseminated by Abetifi locals and that they were unaware of it before coming to Ghana.
“We are staying in Abetifi. Everybody’s talking about it. It’s not difficult to find the information,” Bram said
The celebration surpassed her expectations, according to Minerva, who has been in Ghana for five months and returned in April following a brief break in January.
She remarked, “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s really busy and colourful, and full of music and dancing.”
President John Dramani Mahama is the festival’s patron, and Ms. Abla Dzifa Gomashie, the Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Creative Arts, is supporting it. It runs till April 6. Under the direction of Mrs. Maame Efua Houadjeto, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority, it is being organised.
Tandem paragliding flights, aerial displays, safety demonstrations, tourist exhibitions, and carefully planned visitor experiences targeted at boosting domestic travel are among the events scheduled.
The Ministry of Tourism launched the event in 2005, and since then, it has developed into a significant feature of Ghana’s Easter schedule, bringing thousands of tourists to Kwahu annually.
In addition to flights, the Kwahu region hosts food bazaars, street carnivals, musical performances, cultural events, traditional exhibits, and exhibitions of Made-in-Ghana goods. Additionally, the Kwahu Business Forum is scheduled for April 3–4.
To ensure safety and order during the festivities, the Ghana Tourism Authority stated that it is collaborating closely with the Eastern Regional Coordinating Council, traditional authorities, municipal and district assemblies, security organisations, and business sector participants.
Minerva stated that she wants to come back the following year, either to fly once more or just to observe from the ground. After finishing his flight over Odweanoma Mountain, Bram also seemed content.
Source: newsthemegh.com