One of Toronto’s most iconic public spaces is throwing a celebration like no other.
On Saturday, Aug. 23, Sankofa Square, located at Yonge and Dundas streets, will host Canada’s first large-scale public Sankofa Day — a free, 13-hour festival filled with music, art, food, film, sports, and community gatherings.
The event honours the African diaspora and aligns with UNESCO’s International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its abolition, also known as “Sankofa Day.”
Sankofa Square, formerly known as Yonge-Dundas Square, was officially renamed on Dec. 14, 2023, following a period of public consultation and discussion. The change is a part of a broader effort by the City of Toronto to change the “Dundas” name from city-owned assets, a process that is still underway.
Read More
Ashley McKenzie-Barnes, Curator of Programming for Sankofa Square, says anchoring the event on Aug. 23 was intentional.
“August 23 is a UNESCO-designated day for the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade,” she told Now Toronto on Monday.
“We wanted to honour that history while also recognizing why the idea of decolonization and renaming this space matters. In many ways, we’re taking a page out of celebrations and remembrance that’s happening in the U.K. and across certain parts of North America, so we thought it’s something that we’d want to champion here, and also look at how we can bring it here in Toronto.”
For McKenzie-Barnes, the day is about much more than commemoration — it’s about ownership and joy.
“Last year, we conducted a public research study called Embrace the Possibility with over 3,000 participants,” she said.
“People were saying they wanted more film, more colour, more free programming, more sports and wellness. So this event really reflects their ideas. We want people to come and recognize like, yes, it’s, it’s rooted in decolonization. Yes, we’re celebrating it on Sankofa Day, but it’s also your ideas and your square. This is coming directly from what you said you wanted to see in this square. So we want this to unite people.”
That vision is reflected across the programming, from art and live music to film screenings and wellness activities.
“We catered the day to what people said they wanted,” McKenzie-Barnes said.
“We want this to feel very community-based. We want this to be very joyful and celebratory. It’s free. It’s everything from youth programming to free performances to headlining performance to the closing party, to art, sports, wellness, food. It’s something that is really supposed to be for everyone.”
The celebration also doubles as the public debut of Sankofa Square’s new brand identity, designed by D.PE Agency, which will be showcased across digital screens and social spaces.
This year’s theme, “Looking Back, Building Forward,” weaves together remembrance, resilience, and a vision for the future through a day-long program of cultural experiences.
Festivities kick off in the morning with Indigenous and African ancestral ceremonies. Throughout the day, visitors can explore public art installations, catch screenings from the Caribbean Film Festival right at the Square from 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m., and experience the Everyone vs. Racism graffiti project, where artists will transform a 50-foot transport trailer into a striking, socially resonant installation.
Music will pulse through the Square with Afrodiasporic DJ sets from Afrique Like Me and a high-energy closing party featuring Moonshine and Pierre Kwenders.
There will also be a Jerk x Jollof Day Party from 1 to 4 p.m., and a special DJ performance by Canadian icon Kardinal Offishall, from 7 to 9 p.m.
The stage will also feature live performances, including work from artist Natasha Fisher, while designer Nicole Nomsa Moyo’s installations bring bold visuals to the space.
The iDREAM Awards will take place inside the iDREAM Lounge, celebrating leaders, artists, and changemakers advancing equity in Canada, with five winners from each pillar (entrepreneurship, art, music, film, and sports) receiving a $1 million media campaign to amplify their work.
Sports and wellness programs will also be in full swing, with sessions led by Ultra Black, Hill Run Club, Canada Basketball, and Hoop Queens.
Read More
Running from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sankofa Day promises to be one of Toronto’s most vibrant cultural events of the summer — a full day of reflection, creativity, and community connection.
McKenzie-Barnes says the hope is for Sankofa Day to become a lasting tradition.
“The hope is that it can turn into a fuller festival celebrated every year,” she said.
