Toronto Khalsa Day Parade Draws Massive Crowds; Surrey Event Sees Over 500,000 Attendees

The streets of Toronto, Canada’s financial hub, came alive with music, recitations from the sacred Sri Guru Granth Sahib, and vibrant displays of gatka, the traditional Sikh martial art, as communities gathered to celebrate Khalsa Srijana Divas. To accommodate the surge in attendance, both the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and GO Transit increased service frequency on April 26.

Hundreds of thousands of Sikhs from across the Greater Toronto Area and neighboring regions assembled at Nathan Phillips Square for the annual event, which marks the Sikh New Year and commemorates the establishment of the Khalsa.

Downtown Toronto was awash with color and festive energy during this year’s Khalsa Day Parade. However, celebrations were largely confined to the Nathan Phillips Square area due to ongoing preparations for the FIFA World Cup, with Toronto and Vancouver set to host 13 matches beginning June 12.

Also known as Vaisakhi, Khalsa Day commemorates the founding of the Sikh community in 1699. Organized by the Ontario Sikhs and Gurdwaras Council, the annual parade is among the largest in Canada and regularly draws large crowds of participants and spectators.

The 2026 Toronto Khalsa Day Parade took place at Nathan Phillips Square, with festivities running from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the main procession beginning at 1:30 p.m. Political leaders from major parties were also present, addressing attendees. Due to FIFA-related logistical constraints, the parade followed a modified route starting and concluding at City Hall.

On Canada’s west coast, the 2026 Surrey Khalsa Day Vaisakhi Parade, widely regarded as the largest of its kind globally, was held last Saturday, drawing more than 500,000 attendees. The event featured a large Nagar Kirtan procession beginning and ending at the Gurdwara Dasmesh Darbar Temple, along with community floats, live music, and free meals, known as langar.

Festivities in Surrey ran from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with the main procession beginning in the morning. Thousands of participants and visitors took part in the celebrations, which have grown into one of the largest Vaisakhi gatherings outside India.

Similar parades were also organized in Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and other cities across Canada throughout the month.

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