New this year, the festival will be presented outdoors and for free for the whole city to enjoy.

Curated by TKMF Productions, the second UpFRONT Festival of Indigenous Arts, Music and Culture will take place from August 15 to 17, 2025, across Berczy Park and Scott Street in the heart of downtown Tkaronto.

Celebrated Inuit singer-songwriter and three-time Juno Award-winner Susan Aglukark and Tataskweyak Cree Nation multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter and producer Sebastian Gaskin headline the festival’s free outdoor programming.

Spanning three days across Berczy Park and Scott Street, the UpFRONT Festival is a multidisciplinary experience featuring over a dozen performances, interactive installations, a bustling Indigenous arts and crafts market, and live graffiti art—all grounded in Indigenous community, culture, and creativity. From emerging talents to nationally recognized performers, artists from across Turtle Island will gather to celebrate Indigenous excellence through song, storytelling, and visual art.

Headlining the 2025 UpFRONT Festival are the legendary Susan Aglukark, an Inuk trailblazer, and three-time Juno Award winner whose career has made her one of the most decorated Indigenous artists in Canada, and award-winning, Toronto-based Tataskweyak Cree Nation multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter and producer Sebastian Gaskin.

Sharing the stage throughout the weekend are Brothers Wilde, an Ojibwe country-rock duo from Kettle & Stony Point First Nation, who blend heartfelt lyrics with the energy of rock and the soul of country. Métis singer-songwriter Kaeley Jade, known for her electrifying blend of folk-pop and indie rock, brings her award-winning voice and storytelling to the lineup. Mi’kmaq hip-hop artist Wolf Castle adds a bold, fresh voice to the scene with pop-rap anthems rooted in resilience and pride. Also performing is Mattmac, a blind Anisininew music producer whose melodic pop-trap beats and inspiring rise have earned him over 30 million streams.

Electronic music innovator Classic Roots (Ojibwe/Blackfoot) brings powwow-infused techno and house music in a high-energy performance; while Shawnee Kish, a powerful Two-Spirit Mohawk soul singer and three-time Juno nominee, delivers raw emotion through her voice and story. The genre-defying Beatrice Deer, an Inuk/Mohawk icon from Nunavik, captivates with a trilingual set rooted in Inuk traditions, indie rock, and throat singing. Children and families will enjoy the laughter and learning of Rabbit and Bear Paws, created by Henvey Inlet First Nation’s Chad Solomon, as well as traditional dancing—including the fancy shawl, which imitates the graceful beauty of a butterfly—performed by Odawa Wiingushk. From the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, MR. SAUGA brings together traditional knowledge from the Michi Saagiig people with activism and youthful energy. Mohawk and French-Canadian songwriter James Wilson offers heartfelt acoustic pop that’s earned him chart-topping success.

Artist photos can be found here.

A free visual arts showcase in the lobby of St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts and Berczy Park (August 15 to 17, 2025) and a free Indigenous art exhibition at the Meridian Arts Centre Gallery by TO Live’s Indigenous Cultural Curator Sierra da Silva-Canadien (July 28 to August 24, 2025) are all part of the larger multi-disciplinary celebration of Indigenous arts and cultural resilience at the UpFRONT Festival of Indigenous Arts, Music and Culture. From North York to downtown Toronto, photography, beadwork, sculpture, and more by talented Indigenous artists will be on display, sharing meaningful stories through exquisite artistry. TO Live invites viewers to immerse themselves in artworks of Indigenous brilliance.

“TKMF Productions was founded with one purpose: to put Indigenous artists on the main stage. Our reciprocal partnership with TO Live allows us to amplify our efforts by promoting Indigenous artists from across the country in the heart of downtown Tkaronto,” — Candace Scott-Moore, TKMF Productions

“The UpFRONT Festival is a celebration!” says Clyde Wagner, President and CEO of TO Live. “It’s an honour to support our partners TKMF Productions to create a fun space that celebrates Indigenous identity, invites meaningful dialogue, and showcases the vitality of Indigenous storytelling in today’s urban public spaces.

With inclusion and accessibility at its core, the UpFRONT Festival brings Indigenous culture to the forefront of Tkaronto’s downtown arts scene.”

Other UpFRONT Festival activities include:

Sista’s MexiKanata food trailer

• A delicious fusion of Indigenous and Mexican flavours
• Bold bites that tell a cross-cultural culinary story

Indigenous arts & crafts market (Fri–Sun @ Berczy Park)

• One-of-a-kind handmade goods
• Traditional and contemporary Indigenous artistry on display

Live graffiti walls @ St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts

• Watch the building come alive as Indigenous street artists paint in real time
• A dynamic, evolving canvas celebrating Indigenous voices and visual storytelling

Family friendly

• Enjoy interactive activities for all ages, hands-on fun, and cultural learning throughout the weekend

This project has been made possible in part by:

The Barry and Laurie Green Family Charitable Trust and Experience Ontario, a program funded by the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming.

For more information, visit www.tolive.com.

Support the Future of Indigenous Culture
To support the festival or inquire about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Nikita Patel, Senior Manager, Corporate Sponsorship at nikita.patel@tolive.com or (647) 529-6348.

About TKMF Productions/Tkaronto Music Festival
Tkaronto Music Festival (TKMF) was founded with one goal: put Indigenous artists on the main stage. This goal gave birth to their signature event, Tkaronto Music Festival, Turtle Island’s premiere festival putting the spotlight on Indigenous talent. The team behind Tkaronto Music Festival has also become TKMF Productions, a highly sought-after Indigenous production company, producing marquee events for TikTok Canada, Nuit Blanche, imagineNATIVE film + Media Arts Festival, the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business, and much more. For more information go to tkmf.ca.

About TO Live
TO Live is one of Canada’s largest multi-arts organizations, operating three iconic venues: Meridian Hall, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, and Meridian Arts Centre.

In addition, TO Live presents a full range of performing arts, theatrical, and concert events at these venues in both downtown and uptown Toronto. With these two hubs of creativity and content creation, TO Live has a unique place and perspective to activate creative spaces by inspiring local and international artists, connecting audiences, stimulating new ideas, and elevating artistic potential, becoming a catalyst for creative expression that is reflective of Toronto’s diversity.