Tlalli Festival, founded and curated by Mayan–Zapotec singer-songwriter and JUNO Award winner Quique Escamilla, proudly announces its special Day of the Dead edition: XIBALBÁ — translating to “Underworld” in the Mayan tradition.
XIBALBÁ takes place at TD Music Hall in Toronto on Saturday, November 1 from 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Tickets are on sale here.
This one-day indoor festival is a vibrant celebration honouring the departed through Pan-Indigenous music, dance, storytelling, and ancient culinary traditions. It is both a heartfelt tribute to ancestors and a commemoration of global figures who dedicated their lives to justice, freedom, and equality.
INTERNATIONAL LINE UP:
Digging Roots (Anishinaabe, Onkwehón:we)
Carmen Lienqueo (Chile)
Yasser Tejeda (Dominican Republic)
Mackenzie Jacobs (Six Nations)
Carlos Rivera Dance Group (Mexico)
Raíz Viva (Colombia)
Rosalba Valdez (Chicago, USA)
Quique Escamilla (Chiapas, Mexico)
DJ Grouch (Panama-Colombia)
Mexican Legacy Dance (Veracruz, Mexico)
DJ McGregor Nimkii Beniishi (Anishnaabeg of the Great Lakes)
Josuhé Lozada (Chiapas, Mexico)
Albert Plant (Anishnaabe, Salish, Kootenai)
Chefs Miguel Bravo & Ulises Perez (Mexico)
ABOUT TLALLI FESTIVAL:
Now in its fourth year, Tlalli Festival celebrates the enduring connection among Indigenous Peoples across the Americas — from the First Nations in Canada to the Inca in Perú, the Aztec in México, the Guaraní in Brazil, the Mapuche in Chile, and the Taíno in the Caribbean. “Tlalli” means “Earth” in the ancient Nahuatl language of the Mexican People. The festival is a heartfelt tribute to our planet — the timeless source of life that nourishes all cultures. People of all nations and backgrounds are invited to gather in gratitude, grounding, and re-connection with our shared homeland: Mother Earth.
CULINARY EXPERIENCE:
The festival will also showcase traditional Indigenous cuisine prepared by Chefs Miguel Bravo (Acatlán, Puebla) and Ulises Pérez (Chiapas, Mexico) using artisanal, organic ingredients and ancestral techniques. Special menu highlights include Mole Poblano, Pozole Rojo, Pollo Pibil appetizers, and Mayan beverages such as Tascalate and Pozol de Cacao. Each ticket includes one appetizer and one traditional non-alcoholic beverage upon arrival.
COMMUNITY ALTAR & OPENING CEREMONY:
All guests are invited to bring a framed photo (4”x6”) or memento of their departed loved ones to be placed on the community altar, surrounded by offerings of cacao, corn, fruit, flowers, and drinks. The evening begins with an opening smudging ceremony led by Anishnaabeg knowledge keeper DJ McGregor Nimkii Beniishi, featuring traditional medicine, drumming, and sacred song.
SCHEDULE:
3:00 PM – Doors Open
4:00 PM – Opening Ceremony
4:20 PM – Performances Begin
7:00 PM – Dinner (available for purchase)
11:00 PM – End
Tickets on sale here | All ages | Family friendly.
Venue: TD Music Hall, Toronto | 1178 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON M5B 1T7
on the 4th floor of the Allied Music Centre, connected to the historic Massey Hall.
For media inquiries, interviews, or press materials, please contact:
Ola Mazzuca, OM Media | ola@om-media.co
Tlalli Festival is created and curated by
Quique Escamilla and presented by Copal Arts Inc.
We would like to acknowledge Canadian Heritage
and the Canada Council for the Arts for their generous support.
