September 20-21, 2025 | Sankofa Square, Toronto

After years away, the Thai Dance Troupe of Ottawa (TDO) made a spectacular comeback to Toronto for Thai Festival 2025. This marked a long-awaited return to Canada's largest city, and the weekend exceeded all expectations.

Thai Festival Toronto 2025 was organized by Maple Synapse Events in collaboration with partners across Canada, with generous support from Amazing Thailand and the Royal Thai Embassy in Ottawa, creating one of the biggest Thai cultural celebrations the country has seen in years.

All About the Performance

Performance was the festival's biggest draw. Thousands of people came out to Sankofa Square over the weekend to watch TDO perform. From classical Thai dance to thundering drums to dramatic masked performances, the crowds kept coming back for more. The energy was incredible.

We were thrilled to have Pim C4 join us from Thailand. She's a well-known singer and performer back home, and she brought that star power to Toronto. Pim performed Luk Thung concerts throughout the weekend and even joined us on stage for traditional dance and khon performances. Having her there made the whole festival feel extra special.

What We Performed

We opened with Nang Yai & Khon, showcasing Thailand's most treasured art forms. Shadow puppetry met masked dance-drama in pieces like Ong Bak and Soilampang Worachet, ending with our "Made in Thailand" finale that got everyone on their feet.

• Spirit of Drums brought the noise in the best way possible. When those Klong Yao drums started, you could feel it in your chest. The Mali Band joined us live on stage, and we brought out mythical characters from Thai folklore.

• Essence of Esan took everyone to Northeastern Thailand. We started with the sacred Baisri ceremony, then performed with peacock feathers and traditional long nails. The best part? We invited audience members up on stage to learn the moves with us.

  
  

Sunday featured more favourites, including the beautiful Manorah Buchayan dance and the action-packed Hanuman Capturing Benjagai. There was also a Muay Thai demonstration and the Mali Band playing late into the night, wrapping up with a Full Moon Party.

Thank you to everyone who came out. You made our comeback to Toronto something we'll never forget.

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About the Thai Dance Troupe of Ottawa

Founded in 1987, the Thai Dance Troupe of Ottawa (TDO) is Canada's leading Thai performing arts organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Thai classical and folk dance, music, and drama across Canada. For information, contact Kai Whitcomb at kai_whitcomb@yahoo.com