Every Easter, people jump off a mountain in Kwahu. How paragliding became part of Ghana’s biggest holiday party

At Easter in the Eastern Region, people pay to run off the edge of a mountain.

The Kwahu Easter paragliding festival, held on the Odweanoma mountain at Atibie, has become the most photographed part of Ghana’s biggest Easter celebration. Tandem pilots strap visitors into harnesses, run with them towards the edge of the ridge, and lift off over the plains below, while crowds watch from the launch site.

How it started

Paragliding at Kwahu was introduced by Ghana’s Ministry of Tourism in April 2005. The idea came from Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, then Minister of Tourism, after he visited the Kwahu ridge on a tour of the country in 2003 and saw its potential. The first festival was launched by Vice President Aliu Mahama. Foreign pilots came to fly tandem flights with Ghanaian passengers, and a new tradition was born.

Kwahu Easter

The paragliding fits into a much bigger celebration. Kwahu, the mountainous area of the Eastern Region, has long been known for its successful traders and business people, many of whom live in Accra, Kumasi or abroad. Easter is when they come home. Towns such as Abetifi, Nkawkaw, Mpraeso and Obo fill with visitors, and the long weekend combines church services, family reunions, hiking, street parties, concerts and nightlife.

Kwahu Easter has become one of the biggest social events on the Ghanaian calendar, attracting celebrities, politicians and young people from across the country. Roads to the ridge are packed with traffic before Good Friday.

The flight

Most visitors fly tandem, with an experienced pilot controlling the paraglider. Flights last from a few minutes to longer, depending on the wind, and land on open ground below the mountain. Organisers have recorded well over a hundred flights over the Easter weekend in recent years. Weather is decisive; if the wind is wrong, flights are cancelled.

Safety and cost

Flights cost money and places are limited, so many people book in advance or wait for hours on the mountain. Organisers use certified pilots and equipment, and there are safety briefings before every flight.

Why it works

The festival gave Kwahu Easter a signature image and helped turn a family homecoming into a national tourism event. It also introduced many Ghanaians to an adventure sport they would never otherwise have tried.

A presidential stamp

The event now receives official backing at the highest level. Kwahu Easter 2026 opened under presidential patronage, and the tourism authorities promote the paragliding as one of Ghana’s signature attractions. Launch sites on the Odweanoma mountain have been improved over the years, and the landing fields below fill with spectators cheering each pilot and passenger down.

The Kwahu people have long been known for their business sense. Charging visitors to jump off their mountain is perhaps the boldest idea of all.