TORONTO’S 2025 LULAWORLD FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 12 DAYS OF WORLD MUSIC MAGIC
In a time when music festivals across Canada are shrinking, folding, or reimagining themselves, one festival is standing tall, louder, and prouder than ever. The 19th annual Lulaworld Festival is set to ignite Toronto from May 28 to June 8, 2025, offering a vibrant, soul-stirring celebration of Latin, Brazilian, and global roots music. This is not just a Toronto event — it’s a vital expression of who we are as a country: diverse, creative, and globally connected.
Hosted by Toronto’s legendary Lula Lounge, Lulaworld has evolved into a national cultural landmark — one that offers grassroots intimacy combined with international scope. Over the course of 12 genre-spanning days, more than 200 artists will gather from across Canada and the globe, sharing stages, stories, and songs from Colombia, Cuba, Brazil, Turkey, Jamaica, Nigeria, Algeria, Uruguay, Guatemala, and beyond.
“Toronto has become the cultural heartbeat of global music in Canada,” says Lula Music & Arts Centre co-director Tracy Jenkins. “At a time when it’s increasingly difficult for Cuban, Brazilian, and African artists to tour the U.S., we’re proud to make space for those voices here — and to do it with Canadian collaborators, on Canadian soil.”
With over two dozen presentations taking place at Lula Lounge, Drom Taberna, and the Lulaworld Stage at Do West Fest, this year’s festival highlights include:
- Four nights of world-class salsa, from living legends to rising stars, including Andy Rubal, Noderlis Valdez, Alx Veliz, and Lengaïa Salsa Brava
- Three album launches on Lulaworld Records, Canada’s powerhouse label for Latin and global sounds
- A trailblazing Pride Month cabaret hosted by Bruno Capinan, featuring top drag artists and new music premieres
- The 4th Annual International Samba Reggae Festival, uniting percussionists and cultural leaders from Brazil, Vancouver, and the Bay Area
- Epic musical mashups like The Electric Storm Collective, fusing jazz, folk, Brazilian maracatu, and feminist storytelling into one of the most unique sets of the year
From intimate solo performances to massive dance-floor explosions, every Lulaworld show is designed to ignite connection, curiosity, and community. The lineup showcases established icons and emerging voices alike — including Selcuk Suna, Joaquin Nuñez, Ladom Ensemble, Aline Morales, Marcia Castro, and Dayramir Gonzalez — each telling stories that bridge tradition with today’s musical evolution.
“Long before artists like Bad Buny, Maluma and Daddy Yankee brought Latin music to the international mainstream, Lula has been creating a home for salsa and global music,” says co-artistic director Jose Ortega. “Now, with artists like Yani Borrell, OKAN, Ahmed Moneka, and Empanadas Ilegales going international, we’re proud to say those roots go deep — and they started right here.”
Visit www.lulaworld.ca for the full lineup and schedule, and secure your tickets via Eventbrite. Dinner reservations for Lula Lounge events are available at lula.ca/reservations or by calling 416-588-0307.
Lulaworld 2025 is more than a festival. It’s a movement. It’s Canada at its most soulful, its most joyful, and its most united — one beat at a time.
LULAWORLD 2025 CONCERT LISTINGS
WED MAY 28, 2025
Opening Night: Selcuk Suna & Fethi Nadjem
with special guests Dia, Tara Moneka, and Jessica Deutsch
Lula Lounge – 7 PM Doors, 8 PM Concert – $25 ADV ON EVENTBRITE
Lulaworld 2025 kicks off with a double (album release party featuring Selcuk Suna (Lulaworld Records) and Fethi Nadjem. The culmination of years of creation, the evening will bring together Turkish, Middle Eastern and North African global jazz, roots and electronica.
Selcuk Suna Instagram Selcuk Suna Facebook
THURS MAY 29, 2025
Kubla + Gracie Ella
Lula Lounge – 7 PM Doors, 8 PM Concert $20 – 25 ADV ON EVENTBRITE
An unforgettable night of soulful R&B and jazz as Kubla brings his dreamy West Coast sound and magnetic presence to the stage. Opening the night is rising star Gracie Ella, whose smooth vocals and heartfelt songwriting set the tone for an evening of groove, soul, and emotion.
Kubla Instagram Kubla Facebook Kubla Website
FRI MAY 30, 2025
Cafe Cubano with special guest Andy Rubal $10 – 30 ADV ON EVENTBRITE
Co-presented with Okokan Productions
Lula Lounge – 7 PM Doors, 9 PM Dance Lesson, 10 PM Concert
Montreal pianist and vocalist Andy Rubal joins Toronto’s legendary Café Cubano for a high-energy night of Cuban music. Blending Rubal’s soulful vocals and contemporary timba flair with Café Cubano’s funky rhythms and fiery grooves, this powerhouse collaboration promises an unforgettable celebration of salsa, son, funk, and tropical dancefloor magic.
Andy Rubal Instagram Andy Rubal Facebook Andy Rubal Website
SAT MAY 31, 2025
SWA Orchestra with special guest Alx Veliz: The Nostalgic Sessions
Lula Lounge – 7 PM Doors, 10 PM Concert $20 – $40 ADV ON EVENTBRITE
Or reserve for dInner & Show $69 option at Lula.ca/reservations
With a sound that has no borders, singer Alx Veliz’s music reflects his upbringing in a Guatemalan and Jamaican home in Toronto with influences from reggae, dancehall, salsa, and Latin pop. Prominent on the Latin Canadian music scene since his debut single “Dancing Kizomba,” hit the Billboard charts in 2015, Alx has continued to build his crossover story as a composer, songwriter,r and producer — bridging the culture gap between Latin and urban pop music.
Alex Veliz Instagram Alex Veliz Facebook
SWA, short for Salseros With Attitude, is a dynamic Latin music group known for their exciting blend of salsa pop and Latin rhythms. Having worked with Grammy-nominated artists such as Charlie Aponte, Ismael Miranda, Adonis Puentes, and Fito Blanco, SWA has cemented their reputation, blending their Latin heritage with a variety of global musical genres, offering an exciting fusion that pushes creative boundaries and connects with new audiences.
SWA Instagram SWA Facebook SWA Website
SUN JUNE 1, 2025
Bruno Capinan + Drag Cabaret featuring Devine Darlin and Georgina Hudson
A Pride Month Party Co-presented with Uma Nota Culture, the driving force behind Mixto Festival.
Lula Lounge – 7 PM Doors, 8 PM Concert $25 ADV ON EVENTBRITE
Brazilian-born, Toronto-based Bruno Capinan previews two new songs and celebrates the re-release of his discography on vinyl. As part of this special night to launch Pride month, Bruno will be joined by three leading figures on Toronto’s vibrant drag scene.
Bruno Capinan Instagram Bruno Capinan Facebook Bruno Capinan Website
MON JUNE 2, 2025
Ladom Ensemble Album Release
Lula Lounge – 7 PM Doors, 8 PM Concert $30 ADV ON EVENTBRITE
Join Lulaworld Records in celebrating the launch of Ladom Ensemble’s latest album Sofreh Tisch. Ladom Ensemble’s Sofreh Tisch is a musical tapestry woven from the rich cultural heritage of its members. Pianist Pouya Hamidi, originally from Iran, and cellist Beth Silver, of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, bring their respective traditions into a project where it reflects the Canadian ensemble’s spirit of friendship and artistic exchange.
Ladom Ensemble Instagram Ladom Ensemble Facebook Ladom Ensemble Website
TUES JUNE 3, 2025
Carlie Howell and The Electric Storm Collective featuring Aline Morales
Lula Lounge – 7 PM Doors, 8 PM Concert $25-$30 ON EVENTBRITE
The Electric Storm Collective is a chamber ensemble that draws on the unique musical voices of its members to create a sound that is intimate yet expansive, nostalgic and new. Evocative lyrics are set to lush harmonies, organically shifting time signatures and intricate ostinatos, brought to life by strings, horns, Brazilian percussion, and bespoke female vocals.
The group genre-hops in the most reverent of ways between jazz, folk, rock, pop, and Brazilian traditional and contemporary styles like maracatu, bossa nova, MPB and Tropicalia, taking listeners on a narrative journey and a sonic trip. With opening set by Juno-nominated Brazilian Canadian singer-songwriter and bandleader Aline Morales with members of her large format percussion ensemble Baque de Bamba.
Electric Storm Collective IG Electric Storm Collective FB Electric Storm Website
Aline Morales Instagram Aline Morales Facebook Aline Morales Website
WED JUNE 4, 2025
Joaquin Nuñez & Habana Safari with Dayramir González + Natasha Roldán
Co-presented with Latin Jazz Net
Lula Lounge – 7 PM Doors, 8 PM Concert – $35 ADV at EVENTBRITE
Don’t miss an incredible night of Afro-Cuban jazz and Latin folk as Joaquin Nuñez & Habana Safari are joined by special guest pianist Dayramir Gonzalez, direct from New York City. Opening set by Colombian-Canadian singer-songwriter Natasha Roldán. Co-presented with Latin Jazz Net.
Joaquin Nunez Instagram Joaquin Nunez Facebook
Dayramir Gonzalez Website Dayramir Gonzalez Instagram Gonzalez Facebook
Natasha Roldan Instagram Natasha Roldan Facebook Natasha Roldan Website
THURS JUNE 5, 2025
Passarim
João Leão’s contemporary tribute Antonio Carlos Jobim with special guest Igor Caracas
Lula Lounge –7 PM Doors, 8 PM Concert – $20 – $25 ADV ON EVENTBRITE
Passarim is a reunion of four Brazilian musicians and songwriters who share a love for Brazilian music, specially the Bossa Nova of Antonio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto.
The project started in 2017 as a tribute to the 30th anniversary of Jobim’s first gold album Passarim (1987). From São Paulo’s intense indie music scene, João Leão, Tika, Kika and Igor Caracas carefully adapted the album’s original vocal and orchestral arrangements into a reduced formation with unique style, arriving at a renewed Bossa Nova vibe with vocal effects, electric guitars, synths and a touch of psychedelia.
João Leão Instagram João Leão Facebook Passarim Website
THURS JUNE 5, 2025
Samba Reggae Festival Opening Night featuring Bateria Batuki (San Francisco), Batucada Abrace (Vancouver) & Marcia Castro (Brazil)
Lula Lounge –8:30 PM Doors, 9:30 PM Concert $15 ADV ON EVENTBRITE
The 4th Annual International Samba Reggae Festival kicks off with performances by visiting blocos (drumming ensembles) and this year’s special guest percussion leaders Mestre Jair Rezende, Mestre Pato, and Lenynha Oliveira alongside the celebrated São Paulo-based singer Marcia Castro and Toronto’s own Tdot Batu stage band.
Marcia Castro Instagram Marcia Castro Facebook
FRI JUNE 6, 2025
Lengaīa Salsa Brava with Noderlis Valdes
Lula Lounge – 7 PM Doors, 10 PM Concert $20 – $30 ADV ON EVENTBRITE
Or reserve for dInner & Show $69 option at Lula.ca/reservations
Lengaïa Salsa Brava is a Juno-nominated 12-piece multi-awarded Canadian orchestra based in Montreal and created in 2012 by French Guyanese trombone player Giany Huyghues-Despointes. As its hometown, the orchestra is multicultural and has 7 different nationalities: Colombia, French Guyana, Venezuela, Peru, Quebec, Spain, and the Dominican Republic. Lengaïa has collaborated with several international artists from the world of salsa such as Ismael Miranda, Ismael Rivera Jr and Jimmy Bosch, and is well listed in the new world-known emerging salsa orchestras. Lengaïa has 2 albums: Impacto (2018, Label IM) and The Gold Diggers (2020, Label Lulaworld Records).
Lengaīa Salsa Brava Instagram Lengaīa Salsa Brava Facebook
SAT JUNE 7, 2025
La Borinqueña tribute to Siembra featuring Luis Franco
Lula Lounge – 7 PM Doors, 10 PM Concert $20 – $40 ADV ON EVENTBRITE
Or reserve for dInner & Show $69 option at Lula.ca/reservations
One of the most iconic salsa albums of all time gets the Toronto treatment as an all-star ensemble brings the explosive energy of Siembra to the Lula Lounge stage. Originally released in 1978, Siembra was a groundbreaking collaboration between Rubén Blades and Willie Colón, fusing irresistible rhythms with razor-sharp social commentary. At Lulaworld 2025, La Borinqueña Orquestra—known for their powerhouse brass and classic-meets-cutting-edge sound—reignites these salsa anthems with electrifying vocals by Venezuelan powerhouse Luis Franco. Expect nothing less than a full-on musical throwdown that will have dancers spinning and heads nodding all night long.
Before the band heats up the stage, take your salsa game to the next level with a pre-show lesson by local legend Oscar Naranjo. Whether you’re a seasoned salsero or just finding your feet, this is your chance to get into the groove before diving into the fiery pulse of La Borinqueña’s tribute. A project born at Lulaworld in 2016 and rooted in Puerto Rican musical traditions, La Borinqueña has grown into a mainstay of Toronto’s Latin music scene—thanks to bassist and bandleader Ruddy Bolaños. This is more than just a concert—it’s a celebration of salsa history, a love letter to Puerto Rico, and a sweaty, joy-filled night that’s pure Lulaworld magic.
SUN JUNE 8, 2025
Lulaworld Closing Party at Drom Taberna
Drom Taberna – 7 PM Doors, 8 PM Concert – Details TBA
LULAWORLD AT DO WEST FEST JUNE 6 to 8th
Once again, Lulaworld 2025 will culminate in a 3-day outdoor street party at the Lulaworld stage at Do West Fest. With performers hailing from El Salvador, Montreal, Vancouver, São Paulo, San Francisco, and Ottawa, this year’s block party showcases a stunning lineup of Latin jazz, Afrobeats, reggae, and salsa. Highlights include Boogát, Afrique Like Me, KAR33M, Norderlis Valdes, Marcia Castro, Chuskupura, Reggaddiction, Niña Volcán , and Rachel Therrien. Part concert, part cultural exchange, Lulaworld at Do West is where a local street party meets global celebration. Full lineup at lulaworld.ca.