Curee Salee and Wodaabe Gerewol Festival

Every year members of the nomadic Wodaabe tribe gather near the desert town of Ingall to celebrate the end of the rainy season with the Cure Salee festival. The most famous aspect of the festival is the Gerewol, a male beauty pageant that sees the tribe’s young men dress in elaborate costumes and make-up to perform traditional dances. They are competing for the approval of female judges, and many matches are made during this age-old courtship ritual. The week-long festival also includes camel races, livestock parades, and feasting.