Pasola

The festival

The Pasola is the most spectacular ritual on the island of Sumba, in the Lesser Islands of the Eastern Sound: two groups of horsemen clash with galloping with blunt-top wooden spears, in the tradition of the ancestral Marapu religion. The shed blood is supposed to fertilize the earth and ensure the harvest.

The Pasola season is triggered by the arrival of the nyal sea worms on the coasts: priests re-read the omens in the nyal fishery, and an unfavourable sign may delay or even cancel the ceremony. The joustes are followed over several weeks, between February and March, in the four districts of Lamboya, Wanukaka, Kodi and Gaura, west of the island; in 2026, the season began in mid-February in Lamboya and continued until early March.

The mounted fight is reserved for Sumban men of the participating clans; visitors attend as respectful observers from the designated areas. The exact dates are confirmed only a few days in advance: flexibility is part of the trip.