Media Release: SankofaFest Announces Grammy Award-Winning R&B Icon Mýa as Saturday Headliner

Multi-platinum artist behind “Case of the Ex,” “Lady Marmalade” and “Best of Me” to perform a free all-ages concert at Sankofa Square

TORONTO, ON (August 5, 2026) — Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, actress and entertainer Mýa will headline SankofaFest on Saturday, August 22, bringing one of R&B's most celebrated voices to downtown Toronto for a free, all-ages concert.

Taking the stage from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., R&B icon Mýa anchors Saturday night's free concert experience with a performance supported by Wray & Nephew. Fans can expect more than two decades of chart-topping hits, including Case of the Ex (Whatcha Gonna Do), Best of Me, My Love Is Like...Wo, and the Grammy Award-winning global smash Lady Marmalade.

The performance is part of the first-ever SankofaFest, an expanded three-day celebration of African diasporic culture taking place August 21–23, 2026. Following the success of the inaugural Sankofa Day in 2025, recognized by the Toronto Star as one of the city's cultural highlights, the festival brings together music, fashion, art, film, food and community programming under the theme “Looking Back, Building Forward.”

“Bringing an artist of Mýa's calibre to Sankofa Square is an exciting milestone for the festival,” said Marnie Grona, Interim General Manager of Sankofa Square. “Her music has connected generations around the world, and having her perform a free concert in the heart of Toronto reflects our commitment to making world-class cultural experiences accessible to everyone.”

Since her self-titled debut album in 1998, Mýa has sold millions of records worldwide while building a career spanning music, film, television and philanthropy. A Grammy Award winner and multi-platinum recording artist, she continues to influence contemporary R&B through a career defined by artistic evolution, independence and enduring cultural impact.

Saturday's programming begins at 1:00 p.m. and builds throughout the day with performances from some of the most exciting names across Afrobeat, dancehall and Black music culture before culminating with Mýa's headline performance.

The lineup includes:

DJ LX
Steady
Afrikanah
Deh'Ya
DJ Nadwa
Marketplace and food experiences
Dance activations
Live visual installations
Headline Performance: Mýa (8:00–9:00 p.m.)

A THREE-DAY CELEBRATION OF BLACK ARTS & CULTURE

Beyond Saturday’s headline concert, SankofaFest transforms Sankofa Square across all three days with free, all-ages programming:

Day 1: Friday, Aug 21 (3:00 PM – 11:00 PM) — Fashion, Culture & Marketplace > Kick off the weekend with a curated open-air marketplace, local food vendors, pop-up performances, and immersive runway shows in partnership with African Fashion Week Toronto.
Day 2: Saturday, Aug 22 (1:00 PM – 11:00 PM) — The Block Party > Turn up the energy with sets from DJ LX, Steady, Afrikanah, Deh’Ya, and DJ Nadwa celebrating Afrobeats and Dancehall, culminating in Mýa’s headline performance at 8:00 PM.
Day 3: Sunday, Aug 23 (1:00 PM – 8:30 PM) — Community Day > Celebrate Sankofa Day with family programming, outdoor film screenings with the Caribbean Film Festival, youth basketball with Hoop Queens, SOCAN emerging artist showcases, DJ workshops with Killa Kels, and GCAO cultural presentations.

Anchored around August 23, UNESCO's International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition, also recognized globally as Sankofa Day, SankofaFest celebrates the richness, innovation and global influence of Black culture through free public programming across the entire weekend.

Co-curated by the teams at Sankofa Square and D.PE Agency, with programming contributions from African Fashion Week Toronto, Double A Management and community partners, the festival transforms Sankofa Square into one of Toronto's largest free celebrations of Black arts and culture.

Listing Information

Sankofa Festival 2026
Dates: August 21–23, 2026

Hours:
Friday: 3:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Saturday: 1:00 PM – 11:00 PM
Sunday: 1:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Location: Sankofa Square, 1 Dundas St E, Toronto, ON M5B 2R8

Admission: Free

For updates, artist announcements, and full schedules, visit sankofasquare.ca and @sankofasquare.

Follow along at #SankofaFestTO and #SankofaSquare.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Sankofa Square would like to thank our sponsors Moët Hennessy, Remitly, Wray & Nephew, and Visit Jamaica.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Government of Ontario through the Experience Ontario program.

Supported by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund, a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Corporation.

Thank you to media sponsor Flow 98.7.

Additional gratitude to our supporters Appleton Estate, BDI Print Solutions, Grace Foods Canada, Production Services Industries, and the Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area.

For Media: Media images can be found HERE.

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PRESENTED BY

Sankofa Square
Sankofa Square is a community hub and gathering place in the heart of downtown Toronto. Originally established in 2004 as Yonge-Dundas Square, the space is now guided by the Akan principle of Sankofa—"to go back and get it"—encouraging us to learn from the past to build a stronger future. The Square produces and hosts a diverse calendar of activities, events, festivals, concerts, and public art. Sankofa Square is a City of Toronto agency. sankofasquare.ca.

PROGRAM SUPPORTERS

African Fashion Week Toronto
Launched in 2012, African Fashion Week Toronto (AFWT) is one of Canada's most anticipated diverse fashion events. Held every August, this non-profit provides a vital platform for Black models, designers, and creatives to succeed internationally. Showcasing culture-rich runways, AFWT celebrates the global impact of African fashion. Partnering with the Afro Centre for the Arts, AFWT champions mentorship, creating dynamic opportunities for the arts community. afwt.ca

Caribbean Film Festival
Caribbean Film Festival is a world-class destination film festival and the central hub for Caribbean cinema. We bring islands together under a shared love for storytelling and a collective vision to revive the Caribbean film industry. Our mission is focused on a strategic effort to ignite and energize the region’s film and multimedia industry, fueling a fresh wave of film production and creative content throughout the Caribbean. caribbeanfilmfestival.co

D.PE Agency
D.PE Agency (pronounced "dope") is an award-winning creative agency specializing in dynamic brand identity, compelling digital experiences, and impactful event programming. Known for innovation, D.PE partners with clients to bring bold visions to life through strategic design and engaging cultural activations. The agency proudly spearheaded the creation of Sankofa Square’s new brand identity and programming for the inaugural Sankofa Day in 2025. weredpe.com

Double A Management
Founded in July 2013, Double A Management (D.A.M.) is a full-service event management and talent booking agency. D.A.M. simplifies the booking process, connecting corporate, non-profit, and educational clients with diverse entertainers, keynote speakers, and DJs. Committed to quality assurance and budget-friendly execution, the team handles all operational details to seamlessly bring every client's unique event vision to life. doubleamgmt.com

Hoop Queens
Our mission is clear: to set a new standard for women’s basketball in Canada. As the creators of Canada’s first paid women’s basketball league, we’re dedicated to creating meaningful opportunities for women and girls through the power of the game. thehoopqueens.com

Ghanaian-Canadian Association of Ontario
The Ghanaian-Canadian Association of Ontario (GCAO) is a nonprofit umbrella organization for Ghanaian-Canadian individuals, professionals, and cultural associations across the Greater Toronto Area. GCAO’s mission is to enhance the living standards and well-being of Ghanaian-Canadians through social, cultural, educational, and diaspora initiatives. Through dedicated support services and resources, GCAO envisions building a strong, inclusive, vibrant, and sustainable community in Ontario. gcaocanada.org

SOCAN
SOCAN is Canada’s largest member-based rights management organization. We connect more than 4 million creators and publishers worldwide, ensuring they are paid for their work – the music we all enjoy. We issue licenses for the public playing, performance, communication, and reproduction of music. The money collected from these licenses is distributed as royalties to the rights holders who have earned them in Canada and worldwide. socan.com

FUNDED BY

Experience Ontario
The Experience Ontario program provides support for festivals and events with a tourism economic impact to motivate visitors to discover Ontario, connect people with local experiences, and increase tourism spending.

Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund
The Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund is a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming and administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Corporation.

Media Contact

Deanne Moser
DMPUBLIC
deanne@dmpublic.com
647 888 9388

Sankofa SquareAugust 5, 2026