By Abubakar Ibrahim,Myjoyonline.com 24am
Copyright myjoyonline
For ten years, the Ɔdadeɛ Torch & Bonfire Night has grown from a beloved alumni ritual into Ghana’s most anticipated school bonfire experience. It is an electric fusion of tradition, music, and pure PRESEC spirit.
Every year, the school field at Legon fills with torchlight processions, roaring flames, Jama and fireworks, and an alumni crowd that turns memory into a festival.
The alumni portal and event galleries archive those nights and the faces, showing how the event has evolved into a full-blown cultural moment.
Since the second edition in 2016, our partnership with Joy FM has taken Ɔdadeɛ Torch & Bonfire Night to the airwaves.
The event has been aired live through DJ Black’s Weekend Warmer on Joy 99.7 FM, bringing the bonfire spirit beyond Legon and into homes across the country.
Each year, DJ Black has held the mic for the nation, and alongside him have been some of the top Ɔdadeɛ personalities at Joy FM; Lexis Bill and Gary Al-Smith, who have consistently served as MCs for the night.
Their voices, their announcements, their hype set the tone for the entire evening, making sure that even those listening from afar feel the flames, the music, and the pride.
Over the years, the stage has hosted some of Ghana’s biggest performers and surprise moments that are still talked about today.
In 2015, the programme featured homegrown heavyweights like E.L alongside Choirmaster and his Praye group, in a night that combined Jama, DJ lineups and the signature torchlight procession.
In later years, the lineups kept getting bolder, with headline sets and crowd-stopping performances that turned the bonfire into an artiste night to be reckoned with on the Ghanaian Entertainment Calendar.
Memorable moments include the 2017 performance by the late Ebony that made headlines when she slipped on stage but carried on like a pro, a reminder that the energy at PRESEC is raw and unforgettable.
In 2023, the crowd went wild when Sarkodie shut the night down, and the moment went viral after Dr Ernest Ofori Sarpong, the Ɔdadeɛ Global President, joined him on stage, a joyful collision of alumni pride and pop energy.
Stonebwoy’s set in the 2024 edition delivered classic Afrodancehall heat and scenes that lit up feeds and channels across the night.
This night is not just about headline artistes. It is a living alumni story. Executives of Ɔdadeɛ Global and leading Ɔdadeɛs regularly lead the torch procession, give stirring addresses and share the stage with performers as the fraternity inducts new year groups into the brotherhood.
Coverage of recent editions notes the presence of the Global President and other senior Ɔdadeɛs leading symbolic processions and induction rituals that connect past and present.
Year after year, there have been signature ingredients that make the night what it is:• The torchlight procession that snakes through the campus• The ceremonial induction of graduating groups into the Ɔdadeɛ fraternity• The massive bonfire that creates a communal hearth for memories• Carefully curated artiste lineups, live band highlights• Food bazaars and fireworks that punctuate the night• And the live broadcast partnership with Joy FM, bringing the feel of the night to those far away• The electric hosting by DJ Black and the top Ɔdadeɛ Joy FM presenters, Lexis Bill and Gary Al-Smith, whose chemistry, stage presence and pride amplify the sense of homecoming
Who has performed and who showed up
Here are snapshots from previous years that fans still quote:
E.L, Choirmaster and Jayso were listed among the performers in earlier editions that blended live band, DJs and hip hop energy.
Ebony’s 2017 performance made headlines when she slipped but recovered and finished the show, footage of which circulated widely.
Sarkodie headlined a celebrated 2023 edition and created a viral moment when a prominent PRESEC alumnus joined him on stage.
Stonebwoy’s 2024 performance brought heavy Afrodancehall energy and crowd scenes that trended online.
King Promise, Samini and a roll call of top-tier Ghanaian acts have powered the artiste nights across editions, keeping the standard high and the crowd hyped.
Joy FM moments & broadcast highlights• In 2018, when rain threatened to dampen spirits, Joy FM’s live coverage with DJ Black preserved the mood, and presenters like Lexis Bill, Gary Al-Smith and others from the JOY brand joined in on stage, doing everything from emceeing to dance challenges with students. • The live airing of the event makes it a shared experience: not only for those at the school field, but also for alumni, friends and PRESEC fans across Accra and beyond.
Notable Ɔdadeɛs and special alumni moments
The Torch & Bonfire Night is as much about alumni as it is about music. Global executives and prominent Ɔdadeɛs have been visible leaders of the procession and ceremony.
News coverage and event reporting highlight contributions from global chapter leaders and senior Ɔdadeɛs who help shape the night, and who occasionally become part of the onstage action.
What this 10th anniversary means and what to expect
This 10th anniversary edition is being framed as a once-in-a-decade crescendo. Expect the familiar rituals amplified: an even grander torchlight procession, a larger induction ceremony as the Ɔdadeɛ 2015 year group finally closes their 10-year probation and is welcomed into the fraternity, curated artiste moments, and production and lighting that will make the flames and the stage pop like never before. Given the tradition of the Joy FM broadcast, expect extra audio-visual enhancements so those tuning in via radio or streaming feel like they’re right there on the field.
The promise
Over the past ten years Torch & Bonfire Night has given us viral moments, surprise appearances, headline sets and the kind of alumni energy that only a living tradition can produce.
If past nights are any guide, this 10th anniversary will rewrite the playbook for memorable alumni nights. And one last thing to keep you on the edge of your seat — the organisers keep hints close to their chest, but insiders and teasers point to a major surprise act that will cap the night and make this 10th celebration the one everyone remembers.
Watch this space and come prepared, because when the torches go up, the flames rise, the radio waves broadcast it live, and the crowd’s roar joins the speakers—something big will happen that you will not want to miss.
