Thursday, July 23 | 6 - 8PM
Enjoy free live concerts featuring a curated mix of emerging artists and beloved homegrown icons. At Sankofa Square, this weekly celebration brings the vibrant energy of Toronto’s music scene right to the heart of downtown for an unforgettable #HotSquareSummer evening.
The Q Musicale Festival Takes Over the Square!
For the entire month of July, we are thrilled to partner with The Q Musicale – a growing, multi-day live music festival dedicated to celebrating queer creativity and connection. Officially designated as a Major Cultural Event of Pride Toronto 2026, this artist-first, inclusive community festival is taking over Sankofa Square bringing an electrifying, diverse lineup of emerging and established queer talent to the downtown stage.
The July 23 presentation features: Holly Cinnamon, Simone Denny, Brooklyn Doran, Lucas Silveira, plus THE Q MUSIC AWARDS!
FEATURED ARTISTS & AWARDS SCHEDULE
5:00 PM — Holly Cinnamon
Holly Cinnamon is a queer gender and genre-fluid femme lesbian actor, singer-songwriter and music producer from Alberta based in NYC and Toronto. They produce and publish all their own music through their indie record label, Female Gayze Music, with an 88% queer and 66% female and non-binary team. @holly.cinnamon
5:30 PM — Brooklyn Doran
Brooklyn Doran (she/her) is a queer singer-songwriter originally from the heart of Northwestern Ontario, who has been a staple of the Toronto folk scene for over ten years. Doran’s unique sound weaves song and storytelling; the polarity between her music and personality create a harmonious blend of wit and humour contrasted by vulnerable lyricism and haunting melody. @brooklyndoran
6:00 PM — The Q Music Awards
Join us for The Q Music Awards — Canada’s First Queer Music Awards.
Hosted by Hollywood Jade — known to audiences from Canada’s Drag Race and winner of The Traitors Canada Season 3 — the evening will feature awards presentations by the Boards of Directors of The Q Musicale and the INSPIRE Awards, along with live performances by the winning artists.
Created to uplift queer music and artists, The Q Music Awards recognize excellence across multiple categories including Queer Solo Artist of the Year, Queer Duo/Group of the Year, Queer Emerging Artist of the Year, Queer Song of the Year, and Queer Album of the Year.
Launching in Toronto as part of The Q Musicale’s Third Annual Festival, this historic event marks the beginning of a national initiative designed to elevate and celebrate queer music across Canada.
Celebrate queer excellence. Celebrate queer music. Witness history.
9:00 PM — Lucas Silveira
1ST trans man to be signed to a major label record deal / Singer Songwriter / Mentor / Public Speaker. @lucassilveira
9:30 pm — Simone Denny
Best known as the voice of a generation, the legendary seven-time nominated / four-time Juno Award-winning, five-time Billboard Dance Chart topping vocalist for acts including the Gold and Platinum selling Love Inc., as well as BKS, and Widelife, Toronto-based Simone Denny’s powerhouse vocals drive a prolific list of songs beloved around the world. Among those late night, international club anthems are: You’re A Superstar, Broken Bones, Astroplane, Who Do You Love, Into The Night, Here Comes The Sunshine, I Don’t Want You, Cliché; and she is also the voice of TV’s original Queer Eye For The Straight Guy theme, All Things (Just Keep Getting Better). @simonedennymusic
About The Q Musicale
The Q Musicale is a growing, multi-day live music festival and not-for-profit organization created to showcase queer artists and build meaningful cultural experiences in Toronto. Now in its third year, this artist-first, community-driven festival provides a vital platform for emerging and established queer talent in an inclusive, all-ages space. This summer's festival programming at Sankofa Square will culminate in the inaugural The Q Music Awards—a partnered initiative with INSPIRE Awards celebrating queer musical excellence across Canada through an independent, juried process. Learn more at theqmusicale.ca.
Upcoming Music in the Square Dates:
July 30
August 6, 13, 20 & 27
Go to sankofasquare.ca/hotsquaresummer to see the full season of free weekly events.
