Mississauga Celebration Square Events: My Front-Row Seat to the World, Right Next Door

My first ever event here was Mosaic in August 2019. The Berklee Indian Ensemble was on stage with Vijay Prakash, and when he sang “Hosanna” it was truly breathtaking. Berklee had the kind of energy that kept the whole crowd alive. I walked home that night thinking, this is happening five minutes from my door, for free?

Since then I have been to almost every festival. No need to plan, no need to think about budget, everything is right there. Some weekends it is Bollywood, the next it is a Latin parade, then Japanese taiko drums, then a Filipino concert, then Diwali. If you come to Celebration Square through the year, it really is like visiting every country on earth at the convenience of your home.

The part I value most is my daughter. These events are kid friendly, so I never worry about bringing her. She treats the place as if all the performers are her friends. We have met Apache Indian, Kavita Krishnamurti and Dr. L. Subramaniam in person here, and she still talks about it.

Personal experience. Event lineups and entry rules change every year, so always check the official listing before you go.

The Indian voices

Javed Ali, June 2026. “Vande Mataram”, “Tum Tak”, “Tu Hi Haqeeqat”, “Srivalli”, “Maula Mere Maula”, “Kun Faya Kun”. He was a true rockstar and this went straight to the top of my list.

Kavita Krishnamurti and Dr. L. Subramaniam, July 2024. She started with “Hawa Hawai” and the Square exploded. Then “Pyar Hua Chupke Se” and “Koi Mil Gaya”. She was a rockstar in a saree. It was my first time seeing Dr. L. Subramaniam live and I understood immediately why he is revered across the world. The two of them were on stage for around three hours, standing, which shows the stamina. We got to meet them both.

Apache Indian, August 2025. British-born, with Indian roots. Meeting someone whose songs I listened to growing up was special. He belted out “Arranged Marriage”, “Chok There” and “Boom Shack-A-Lak”, and he took time to meet my daughter, who loves “Arranged Marriage”. My only wish was “No Problem”.

The Pakistani voices

Ali Sethi, August 2023. “Pasoori” had become a worldwide hit by then, and the crowd went wild. He is truly a performer who has the voice to back it up.

Qurat-ul-Ain Balouch, August 2024. Soulful from start to finish, and the qawwali that followed from Shahid Ali Khan set the stage on fire.

Ali Zafar and Sanam Marvi, 2026. Ali Zafar packed the Square in June, and Sanam Marvi mesmerised Mosaic in August with Sufi and qawwali.

Personal experience. Song lists are what I remember hearing on the night.

2019. The Berklee Indian Ensemble featuring Vijay Prakash. My first event here, and the reason I kept coming back.

2020 and 2021. Mosaic went online during the pandemic, so there was nothing on the Square.

2022. The first in-person year back. Meesha Shafi, Josh, Raghav (I still remember “Teri Baaton Mein”) and Red Baraat were on the bill.

2023. Jazzy B singing “Jine Mera Dil Luteya”, Ali Sethi with “Pasoori”, the Mekaal Hasan Band, and a snake charmer act that had kids staring. Snake charmer clip, Ali Sethi full video.

2024. Qurat-ul-Ain Balouch with soulful singing, Rabbi Shergill’s “Bulla Ki Jaana”, “Tere Bin” and “Jugni”, Shahid Ali Khan Qawwal setting the stage on fire, and Canada Dhol Tasha. Deep Jandu headlined Friday, which I missed.

2025. The 20th anniversary. Co-headliners Aima Baig and Josh were both good, Apache Indian made his Mississauga debut, the Mekaal Hasan Band returned and Shahzad Ali Khan Qawwal mesmerised the crowd.

2026. Sanam Marvi’s beautiful voice, Vaibhav Gupta singing “Mann Atkeya”, plus Delhi 2 Dublin.

Official lineups: mosaicfest.com.

2019. Nikhita Gandhi made her Canadian debut and Yasser Desai headlined the Saturday.

2022. Aaman Trikha and Aakanksha Sharma sang, and Sunny Leone made a guest appearance. She has a big fan following and people paid to meet her. I personally did not see her.

2023. Ash King, who I saw live, plus Shashaa Tirupati and Aishwarya Pandit. Second video from 2023.

2024. Kavita Krishnamurti with Dr. L. Subramaniam, and Yasser Desai.

2025. Jyotica Tangri and Nirali Fozdar.

2026. The first three-day edition. Neeraj Shridhar was fantastic. We missed Jolly Mukherjee and Priyanka Mitra but heard it was amazing.

Ali Zafar, June 13. “Rangeen”, “Larsha Pekhawar”, “Channo” and more. People came from across the GTA and the venue was packed with no breathing space. It came right after a World Cup match screening, so the Square was already full, and that made things worse. If you go to a headline concert on a match day, arrive early, keep kids close and agree on a meeting point.

Javed Ali, June 26. “Vande Mataram”, “Tum Tak”, “Tu Hi Haqeeqat”, “Srivalli”, “Maula Mere Maula” and “Kun Faya Kun”. A true rockstar.

The giant flag, August 2025. For India’s Independence Day, the Square hosted a huge Indian tricolour that we were told was the largest Indian flag ever displayed outside India. Standing under it with thousands of others was a proud moment.

What has changed since. In April 2026, Mississauga City Council changed its policy so that only Canada’s flag is raised on the courtesy flagpole in Celebration Square, and the Civic Centre clock tower now lights up only in Canadian colours. National flags are still allowed on city property and at community-led events, according to CP24, so check with organisers about what each year’s celebration will look like.

Bhangra. Amrit Maan’s “Trending Nakhra” set the stage on fire at RED FM Summer Bhangra Jam in August 2025.

Sholay at 50. The first Canada Literature Festival in October 2025 brought Annu Kapoor and Sona Mohapatra, and an outdoor screening of Sholay for its 50th anniversary. Watching Gabbar on a giant screen with hundreds of people around me was pure nostalgia. Literature Festival and Diwali clip.

Canada Day: Marianas Trench (2019), JESSIA and elijah woods (2022), Faouzia (2023), Crash Adams (2024, also Mississauga’s 50th anniversary), Connor Price (2025), bbno$ (2026). The 2020 and 2021 editions were online only.

New Year’s Eve: Jazz Cartier (2019), Banx & Ranx (2022), Shawn Desman (2023), Shad, DijahSB and Maestro Fresh Wes (2024), and the UK group Say Now (2025). New Year’s Eve 2021 was cancelled during the Omicron wave.

Source: City of Mississauga event pages and news releases. Check the City events calendar for this year’s lineup.

Colourful costumes, folklore dancers from different Latin American countries, and live music that does not let you stand still. More from other years: 2024, 2025 highlights, 2025 parade.

Garba circles, diyas, family photos and hot pakoras on a cool October evening. It feels like home. Garba clip.

Canada Diwali 2026 (October 9 to 11). Jasbir Jassi was back for his second time at the Square and sang “Kudi Kudi”, “Kudi Gujrat Di” and “Koka”, and Richa Sharma closed the weekend. I was there for both. Indian actor Chunky Panday and Khan Saab, known for “Aari Aari Aari” from Dhurandhar: The Revenge, were on stage on the Saturday. Official details: canadadiwali.ca.

• Japan Festival Canada (August): 2023, 2025
• Philippine Festival Mississauga (September): 2023, 2025
• MuslimFest (summer): I mostly go to explore food from Muslim countries. 2022, 2023
• Mississauga Italfest (August): 2023
• Discover Egypt Fest and the Egyptian Coptic Festival: these are two different festivals. Egyptian festival video
• Mississauga Polish Days (June): 2025
• Mississauga Halal Food Festival (June): 2023
• Portugalo Fest: 2024
• AfroCan Roots and Rhythms Fest (September): 2025
• Chinese festival: 2023
• Tastes of South East Asia Lantern Festival (October)
• Living with Wellness Arts Festival (June)
• FIFA World Cup “Watch the World Play” (June to July 2026): watching Canada beat Qatar 6-0 on June 18 on the big screens was no less than a concert, and the final was amazing.
• Weekly favourites: Farmers Market, Fresh Air Fitness (Bollywood dance), Movie Night, plus Amphitheatre Unplugged, splashing in the fountain and food trucks.

Riders flying overhead, climbers on the bouldering walls and skaters on the ramps, all free to watch. In 2026, Jackalope Mississauga moved to the Square One P3 parking lot next door, according to the City’s summer calendar.

APIK built a snow park in the middle of the city, with snowboarders and skiers throwing tricks while DJs played. The 2025 Santa Parade had floats, bands, dancers and of course Santa, and nobody seemed to mind the cold.

• Park smart. P3 gets crowded and is slow to exit after a big concert. P1 or P8 is a better option: you may have to take a short walk, but you save lots of time in traffic.
• Arrive before the headliner. Big South Asian names draw people from all over the GTA. The best spots fill up early.
• Pick a meeting point. On packed nights, agree with your kids where to meet if you get separated. My Ali Zafar night taught me that.
• Check for back-to-back events. When a concert follows a big screening or another festival, the crowd stacks up.
• Come hungry, bring a little cash. Food trucks and festival stalls are half the fun.
• Let the kids play. In summer the fountain is open for splashing, so pack a towel and a change of clothes.
• Check before you go. Events are weather permitting and lineups change. The official calendar is the final word.

Personal experience and tips, not official guidance. Parking lots and fees can change, so check the signs on the day.