International Visitors Find Unity, Culture and African Possibility at Irreecha Festival

Addis Ababa, October 3, 2026 (FMC) — From a nearly 1,400-kilometre road journey from Kenya to Addis Ababa to an American family’s immersion in Oromo culture, international visitors attending Hora Finfinne Irreecha are describing Ethiopia through experiences of cultural connection, hospitality, natural beauty and what they see as the country’s growing possibilities.

For Kenyan visitor Yusuf Diba, attending Irreecha for the fourth time was worth travelling almost 1,400 kilometres by road with a group of about 50 people from Nairobi, Mombasa, Isiolo and Marsabit.

Speaking exclusively to Fana Digital at Hora Finfinne, Diba said Irreecha’s growing celebration across different parts of the world reflects the bonds connecting Oromo communities and people beyond national borders.

“If you see me here, dancing people there behind me, they will see that we are all the same people,” he said, describing the festival as an occasion that brings people together through culture, music, dance and a shared sense of belonging.

Diba said he was drawn repeatedly to Ethiopia by its natural beauty, culture, art and people, adding that each visit to Addis Ababa had allowed him to observe changes in the city.

“I’ve been here four times. The first time I came, it was not this much developed. The second time, it’s more developed,” he said, describing Addis Ababa today as a major African destination.

He also praised the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, saying he believes Ethiopia’s transformation is contributing to a changing perception of Africa.

“I like this administration a lot. The administration of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, he has actually transformed the mentality of the whole Africa,” Diba said.

For him, that changing outlook is reflected in the growing interest of Africans in visiting Ethiopia. He said prominent Kenyan personalities are also encouraging others to experience the country for themselves.

Diba said his own experience in Addis had altered his perception of what an African city can offer, making a comparison with Dubai.

“We don’t need to go to Dubai. Me, myself, I don’t want to go to Dubai. Because this [Addis Ababa] is my Dubai. I’ve seen everything in Dubai here,” he said.

His observations extended from the capital to Ethiopia’s broader development trajectory. He cited the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) as an example of what he sees as the continent’s capacity to mobilize its own resources and undertake major projects.

“This shows that we, Africa, we have the potential. We have the energy. We have resources. We have everything to do by ourselves,” Diba said.

He called for stronger investment in African institutions and capacities, arguing that Africans should build greater ability to finance and solve their own development challenges.

“I know we have the capacity to do it,” he said.

For American visitor Orhot Payette, Irreecha offered a deeply personal encounter with Oromo culture and a celebration she described in terms of family, faith, friendship and shared humanity.

Payette attended Hora Finfinne with her son and grandson, saying her family had chosen to identify with her grandson’s Oromo heritage for this year’s celebration. His aunt had prepared traditional dresses for them, allowing the family to participate directly in the cultural occasion.

“I think the Ethiopian people are wonderful and I think the Oromo is beautiful and I think Irreecha is a beautiful celebration of sisterhood, brotherhood, all of us together under God,” Payette said.

She spoke enthusiastically about the festival’s colors, dancing and singing, while particularly emphasizing the warmth and openness she encountered among participants.

“Everyone is so friendly and kind and so there are no barriers. It’s not, we’re different, we’re the same. We’re children of God together,” she said.

Payette’s experience of Ethiopia has also taken her far beyond Addis Ababa. She said she has visited Lalibela, where she saw its 11 rock-hewn churches, as well as Hawassa, Wanchi Lake and Arba Minch.

She recalled seeing wildlife around Hawassa, visiting the island church at Wanchi and taking a boat excursion around Arba Minch, where she enjoyed seeing zebras.

“I just, I think this is a beautiful country and it has so much to offer,” Payette said, adding that she particularly appreciated being able to explore parts of Ethiopia beyond the capital.

Her appreciation also extends to everyday Ethiopian life. She spoke warmly about the country’s fruits and vegetables, her love of injera and her efforts to learn cultural practices that she plans to take back home.

“I’m very excited to be able to share with the rest of the world and everyone should come to Ethiopia,” she said. “It’s a beautiful place, beautiful people.”

Payette also described a sharp contrast between what she had heard about Ethiopia before visiting and what she encountered personally.

“What I heard about Ethiopia is that you’re very poor and repressed and it’s very dangerous, and I’m like, that’s all a lie. It’s all a lie. It’s not dangerous and it’s a beautiful place,” she said.

Other international visitors at Hora Finfinne likewise spoke of an experience shaped by the warmth of Addis Ababa and the scale and vibrancy of the celebration.

Martina Marek of Poland said the occasion provided an opportunity to witness a celebration on a scale she had not previously experienced.

“I’m very glad that I could manage to visit this special celebration on that day. I haven’t had a chance to see such a big event like that, such a big celebration,” Marek said.

Having spent two weeks in Addis Ababa, Marek said the festive atmosphere extended beyond the celebration grounds and could be felt throughout the capital.

“You can see that everywhere, on every street and every corner, something is going on and it’s really rising up, which feels very nice for the country and for the society,” she said.

The range of international voices at Hora Finfinne reflects the festival’s ability to offer visitors different points of entry into Ethiopian and Oromo culture—from a Kenyan traveller returning for his fourth Irreecha, to an American family participating through heritage, and a Polish visitor encountering the celebration on a scale she had not previously witnessed.

For Diba, Irreecha’s significance reaches well beyond the celebration in Addis Ababa. He noted that the festival is also observed by Oromo communities and others in North America, Europe, Asia and across Africa, creating connections that transcend geography.

He said the event itself was what brought him and his fellow travellers from different parts of Kenya to Ethiopia, despite the long journey and sleepless nights spent travelling.

“This event brought me 1,400 kilometres from Nairobi up to here. That means how important this event is,” Diba said.

Payette, meanwhile, said she hoped to carry her Ethiopian experiences beyond the festival and share them with people elsewhere in the world.

At Hora Finfinne, their journeys converge around an occasion whose reach now extends well beyond its ceremonial grounds: a celebration of Oromo thanksgiving that is drawing visitors across borders while offering them a direct encounter with Ethiopia’s culture, people, landscapes and evolving story.