Largest Sri Lankan festival ever held in Canada caps the band’s two-city Canadian tour
Sri Lankan rock and pop favourites Daddy closed out their Canadian tour in record-breaking style, headlining Lankan Fest 2026 at Woodbridge Fairgrounds on June 27 before a crowd of more than 5,000 — the largest audience ever gathered for a Sri Lankan festival on Canadian soil. The Toronto show followed the band’s performance in Edmonton, marking a landmark two-city run for one of Sri Lanka’s most beloved musical acts.
Organized by Lankan Square, a Sri Lankan-Canadian community collective founded by Kamaj Silva, Lilan Samaradiwakara, and Chanuka Wijesundara, the open-air festival brought together Sri Lankan-Canadians from across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond for a full day of music, food, and culture. The lineup spanned generations and genres, featuring Randhir, Jayasri, Rock Saami, and rock legend Chitral Somapala alongside headliners Daddy — a rare opportunity for the diaspora to experience this calibre of homegrown talent on a single stage without boarding a flight home.
“When we started Lankan Fest, our dream was to create a space where Sri Lankan-Canadians could celebrate our culture proudly and share it with everyone. Seeing over 5,000 people come together at Woodbridge Fairgrounds — families, elders, kids, and friends from every background — proved that this festival is no longer just an event. It’s a movement.”
— Kamaj Silva, Co-Founder, Lankan Square
Beyond the music, the festival gave local Sri Lankan vendors and food trucks a major platform, spotlighting small diaspora businesses, while strong corporate and community sponsorship reflected the growing institutional support behind Sri Lankan-Canadian culture. For many, the day marked a coming-of-age moment: proof that the community has become a cultural force in the Greater Toronto Area in its own right. Buoyed by the response, organizers have confirmed that planning is already underway for a bigger edition in 2027.
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