Ceremonial drums are membranophones and idiophonic slit drums, which are played in a ritual context cult, religious or ceremonial social occasions by indigenous peoples around the world, often accompanied by singing or chanting.

Some ceremonial drums were specially made for their purpose and are accordingly elaborately designed. This includes drums, which are considered sacred objects and may only be used by a certain group of people. The drums can be played solo or in a small ensemble to accompany singing in rituals, or can belong to a larger orchestra for courtly ceremonies and plays. Ceremonial drums can include tubular drums standing upright on the floor, large kettle drums, hand-held frame drums, and wooden slit drums.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, certain drums are only used in secret-society ceremonies or initiations. The Ewe in the south of Ghana use a ceremonial drum orchestra that performs at funerals or to worship deities of traditional religion. The gankogui double-stemmed bell sets the pace. Almost each of the orishas revered in the Yoruba religion has its own drum orchestra, which is of central importance for the cult of the respective deity. Drum music also represents the medium through which the ritual participant in ecstasy get in touch with the gods. The drums played at religious ceremonies of the Yoruba are tubular drums that are open at the bottom and are covered with fur on one side. In the case of the Yoruba's ìgbìn drum, its wooden body stands on carved feet. According to tradition, these drums were once human beings before the Orishas brought them to earth.

The palace music played by traditional African rulers at court ceremonies includes drums and wind instruments; in northern Nigeria, for example, the cylinder drum gangan, the long trumpet kakaki and the cone oboe algaita. Kettle drums used in ceremonial court music in northern Africa can be traced back in individual cases to Arab influence and the naqqara kettle-drum pair, played in Islamic military bands and palace orchestras. This influence also applies to the long African metal trumpets, which are derived from the Arabic nafīr or the karnay. Ceremonial drums are often an indispensable part of the insignia of the ruler, without whose possession and ritual use he cannot be introduced into his office. According to a 1930 era description about the inauguration of the local May (ruler) of Fika, Nigeria, the superordinate Hausa Madaiki (leader) takes the small "successor drum" into the palace and carries it hidden under his cloak into his house. On the evening after the funeral, the Madaiki brings the snare drum and a large ceremonial drum into the palace, appoints the successor and installs him immediately in his office. When May beats the metal kettle drum three times and the Madaiki once, the inauguration ceremony is over and May is the deceased's legal successor.

The naqqara was part of the courtly ceremonial music naubat from the Middle East to India . The ceremonial orchestra was only allowed to act on the instructions of the ruler. A sign of her special power was that Nur Jahan (1577–1645), wife of the Indian mogul Jahangir, was allowed to play the ceremonial drum even in the presence of her husband.

In the circumpolar regions the drums have been classified by traits such as the knob, frame design, size, membrane motifs, ornaments, etc. There are therefore two main groups of drums: those with internal and those with external knobs.

Drums with internal knobs are found amongst the Tjuktjer in Asia and among North American Inuit.

Drums with external knobs are more widespread and are divided into four types: