Nguon — Bamoun People's Festival (UNESCO Heritage)

The festival

In Foumban, the capital of the Bamoun kingdom, founded in the 14th century, the Nguon is more than a celebration: it is a ritual of governance where the king presents himself before his people, listens to his criticisms, receives his blessings and reports. His rites and cultural expressions have been inscribed since December 2023 on the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The event, organized by the Nguon Foundation, celebrates the crafts, dances, music and memory of the kingdom.

Celebrated in a biennial cycle, it holds its 549th edition from 4 to 13 December 2026, under the theme "Sultan Ibrahim Mbombo Njoya, King Builder and plural figure: memory and inheritances".