I think it’s important to know what you know and what you don’t know. I know that Sunfest is a huge boon to London, Ontario and a unique event unlike any other we have in town, and that as a community, we owe founder and Executive Director Alfredo Caxaj a debt of gratitude for bringing this festival to our Forest City for 32 years now.
What I don’t know a lot about is world music, so didn’t feel very equipped to write about the fest for this column. My friend Chris McInnis is a HUGE Sunfest fan though, and every year puts together a very elaborate spreadsheet where he highlights bands to see, and schedules and colour coordinate the whole thing.
He puts a lot of love and care into putting this together and researching all of the acts, so I reached out to Chris to see if he would pen a guest post to cover this year’s Sunfest. Lucky for all of us, he said yes! Please read and enjoy.
All Sunfest, All the Time
This year Sunfest runs from July 9 - 10 in Victoria Park and like always, it is FREE to attend!
There will be 54 International and National Performers, 5 stages and over 200 food and artisan vendors!
Sunfest - A Festival Like No Other
How to Sunfest Like a Pro
Chris’ Sunfest Picks
A Note About Food and Shopping at Sunfest
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Sunfest - A Festival Like No Other
Guest post by Chris McIinnis
About this time every year, I see the same comments pop up: “Those festivals in Victoria Park are all the same.” Despite the proliferation of flavor-of-the-month-fests in recent years, London’s Sunfest stands out from the others as a truly exceptional live music event, going strong in its 32nd year. For four days, the park hosts five stages of music from around the world, all for free to the public.
I really knew nothing about “world music” when I started going to Sunfest, but the diversity and energy of the performers won me over. And when I say diversity, I mean it. Sunfest performers run the gamut from up-and-comers to multi-generational local legends. You’ll see solo acts, choruses, DJs and whole dance troupes.
Within an hour you can hear traditional Vietnamese music on one stage, smooth seventies-style funk on another, and a punkified polka jam on a third. But what is truly glorious is how many of the acts that come to Sunfest are a microcosm of the overall music scene. A single act may have a drummer from France, a singer from Senegal, and a guitarist from Estonia.
Many of my favourite acts over the years have mashed up genres and traditions from their home country with modern and international styles. Some bands can sound otherworldly or even jarring at first, but every so often a performance will completely entrance you, and that otherworldliness becomes beautiful - maybe even transcendent.
All that said, the diversity and weirdness that I’ve learned to embrace can be off-putting at first.
If you simply show up at the park, you may not connect with who you just happen to see. But, if you do a bit of homework and check out some of the acts in advance, you’ll dramatically increase your chances of seeing something you will love.
For me, that means avoiding anything Jazz or even Jazz-adjacent. For you, that might mean finding a great guitarist (Boubé), some pounding electro beats (Elements of Baraka), or a dance-friendly Cuban act (Yarima Blanco).
Elements of Baraka
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How to Sunfest like a Pro
The Sunfest website is a great launchpad to find who’s playing when, but to get a better feel of what you’re really in for, I recommend looking for live performances on YouTube. Some bands' on-stage vibe is very different from their recordings—and a good stage show can completely win you over.
But, if that sounds like too much work, your best bet is to go late. Sunfest’s Artistic Directors Alfredo and Mercedes Caxaj know how to pick the crowd-pleasers, and the cream of the crop tend to get the 8:00 PM, 9:00 PM or 10:00 PM slots to close-out the night.
Chris’ Sunfest Picks
Divka - Friday at 2:00 PM, Saturday at 12:00 PM
One act to look out for this year are Divka. Touring in support of their debut album, the duo blends haunting Ukrainian and Hungarian folk with an indie vibe. And they hail from…. Toronto?
Yep, that’s the other great thing about Sunfest. Along with the international talent, many of the fifty acts playing this weekend are Canadian.
Pako - Saturday at 1:15 PM, Sunday at 12:25 PM
This year also features some great indigenous talent like guitarist and singer-songwriter Pako, a singer-songwriter from the Atikamekw community of Manawan and performs in his native Atikamekw language.
Guiss Guiss Bou Bess - Saturday at 8:45 PM, Sunday at 7:00 PM
Guiss Guiss Bou Bess are a Senegalese/French trio who scramble traditional and electronic beats and vocals into a highly danceable, high energy sound.
On stage, the artists mix electronic music with various aspects of Senegalese cultural identity: dance, percussion, costumes, and spirituality. At the heart of this clever fusion shines the sabar - the emblematic percussion instrument and complex rhythms of Senegal.
Yeison Landero - Saturday at 8:30 PM, Sunday at 8:45 PM
For something more traditional, Yeison Landero, a master of Cumbia (sort of a Colombian relative of Zydeco).
His grandfather, Andrés Landero was one of the most famous accordionists, known as the “King of cumbia”. Today, having received all this legacy from his grandfather, Yeison, known as the “Heir to cumbia”, is not only one of the greatest accordion players, but is also working to create his own traditional style.
Puuluup - Saturday at 5:45 PM, Sunday at 2:00 PM
My pick for the “it’s weird but it works” category are Puuluup, an Estonian duo who pair humour and infectious grooves with the talharpa, an ancient Nordic string instrument.
Editor’s note from Diana. In looking up videos to embed for Puuluup, I went down a rabbit hole with them. Apparently they are so popular that a documentary was made about that that debuted this year. The trailer for it is amazing and hilarious - you can watch it here.
They also represented Estonia in Eurovision in 2024. Eurovision is of special interest to us Canucks as Canada will be able to compete for the first time ever in 2027!
DOSI - Friday at 6:00 PM, Sunday at 1:30 PM
And, as a bonus, in the “what the funk am I listening to?” category, you may want to check out DOSI, who seem to range from K-Pop to metal, taking detours into various other genres along the way.
Dosi is a six-member South Korean band formed by a group of friends united by their shared love for diverse styles of music. Drawing from each member’s unique musical background, the band blends powerful rock elements with a refined modern edge, creating a sound that is distinctly their own.
Is there a band you can’t wait to see at Sunfest? Share your picks in the comments below!
A Note About Food and Shopping at Sunfest
Expect crowds and slow movement in those areas, especially during peak hours (roughly 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM Saturday and Sunday).
And, while there are some great local gems to be purchased and consumed, you’ll also see a lot of chip trucks and wolf blankets. Don’t judge! These vendors pay the bills that let Sunfest fly in musicians from around the globe.
Chris’ Sunfest Creds
I’ve been reviewing and ranking Sunfest line-ups for many, many years. (Yes, there’s a spreadsheet. No, it wouldn’t be polite for me to share the acts that I find completely cringey. For a clue, see above re: Jazz.)
This is me in my Sunfest hat. It’s older than I am. I don’t only wear it to Sunfest, but I always wear it at Sunfest.
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