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DESIFEST 2025 returns to Toronto in June
The festival was first hosted in 2006.
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Bhavana P - Sat, 17, May 2025
- 14:33 EDT
- 0
DESIFEST poster / Courtesy Photo- DESIFEST
Canada’s largest South Asian music festival, DESIFEST, is set to return to Sankofa Square in downtown Toronto on June 14.
The festival which aims to spotlight South Asian Canadian talent will be held under the theme, ‘We Are Canadian’ this year.
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Presented by TD Bank Group, DESIFEST 2025 follows the success of its all-Canadian artist lineup in 2024 and expands its efforts to showcase Canadian South Asian musical talent in 2025.
The day-long event will feature diverse genres including Bollywood, Punjabi, Bangla, Carnatic Fusion, Hip Hop, and R&B, reflecting Canada’s growing multicultural narrative.
“Last year was a major milestone — our first fully Canadian lineup. This year, we’re going even further. We’re investing in artists with mentorship, funding, and national exposure.
These are Canadian stories, Canadian sounds, and Canadian creators — and they deserve to be seen, heard, and supported right here at home,” said Sathish Bala, founder and CEO of DESIFEST.
In addition to live music, the 2025 edition will feature 20+ curated food vendors, interactive cultural exhibits, a kids’ zone, and welcoming spaces for all ages. Since its founding in 2006, DESIFEST has supported over 1,000 artists, contributed more than $3 million to cultural development, and hosted over 60,000 live attendees annually. In 2024 alone, the festival reached over 45 million people digitally. Now in its 19th year, it continues to celebrate cultural identity, community, and independent artistry.
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