BuskerFest Hits the Beach!
Performer Lineup Announced for
18th Annual Toronto International BuskerFest for Epilepsy
Woodbine Park over Labour Day Weekend
September 1-4, 2017
Toronto, ON (July 21, 2017) – An eclectic lineup of street performers from around the globe will converge on Woodbine Park in The Beach this Labour Day Weekend for the 18th annual Toronto International BuskerFest for Epilepsy. Acrobats, break dancers, comedians, clowns, jugglers, daredevils, fire manipulators, hula hoopers, musicians, magicians, high-skill circus performers, a 44-time Guinness World Record Holder and more are among the over 100 world-class performers in this year’s line-up. The festival, a signature fundraising event for Epilepsy Toronto and the largest epilepsy event in the universe, will take place over the Labour Day weekend, Friday, September 1 to Monday, September 4.
NEW ACTS appearing for the first time at this year’s Toronto International BuskerFest include:
o Beat The Streets (Australia/ Morroco / Usa): Australia’s leading dance entertainment company bring their high-energy, award-winning show to Toronto for the first time ever! This unique, exciting performance includes break dancing, tap dancing, acrobatics and loads of comedy.
o Duo Hoops! (Montreal): David and Becky are a loveable, dynamic duo who come together to hula hoop (with hoops of all sizes), juggle and toss each other around. They currently live in Montreal and have been performing tricks together – with bizarre wit and absurd humour – around the world for over 12 years.
o El Trio La La La (Spain / Italy): What happens when a suitor gives a bunch of flowers to his beloved, with all the best intentions? Throw a coin to this kind, friendly, “normal” looking couple/statue and let yourself be surprised!!! World Champion winners at the World Statues Festival Arnhem 2008, this out-of-the-ordinary statue definitely won’t leave anybody indifferent.
o Jay Mmagic (Toronto): This 13 year old magician has come far with the hours and hours of practice and dedication put into the art of magic, and he’s now ready to leave Toronto audiences blown away by what he can do.
o NorthFIRE (Toronto): NorthFIRE is a high-energy show with beautifully choreographed fire acts that will amaze. NorthFIRE features a diverse set of highly skilled variety circus performers who entertain with fire hoops, poi, staff, acrobatics and fire breathing. A powerful show perfect for the whole family, these fire acts will astonish.
o Strong Lady (UK): Betty Brawn is a STRONG LADY! You will laugh, you will gasp and you will ponder what is possible as you witness her genuine feats of strength! Men will be lifted into the air, solid metal snapped and thick books torn to pieces as you are invited to look at the world through the eyes of a strong lady.
Among the amazing RETURNING FAVOURITES included in this year’s performer lineup are:
o Diogo Alvares (Brazil): A master manipulator, Diogo’s show “Face to Face,” is wordless with a musical backdrop. He builds a crowd simply with his incredible skills with cards, billiard balls and cigarettes to create a truly unique magic act.
o Dr. Bubblito (Mexico): Wherever he goes, there will be bubbles. Big bubbles, small bubbles, lots of bubbles and good times with Dr. Bubblito.
o Duo ComicCasa (Israel / Switzerland): Hats will fly, ladders will be balanced and garbage bins will be used like youbve never seen before! And for their grande finale, they present: The Daredevil Plunger Throwing Act!
o Fraser Hooper (New Zealand): Boxing’s Biggest Baddy, Fraser Hooper, will dare to challenge all comers in a three-round bout of pure comedy carnage. Get a ringside seat for a guaranteed belly-aching knockout performance.
o Gaia (Toronto): Gaia is a hypnotizing and elegant earth spirit that captivates audiences with her magic, music and crystal ball.
o Jenny Jupiter (Toronto): Combining mime and movement technique, unique and spectacular costumes, music and a dash of clowning, Jenny Jupiter is an interactive character artist who is out of this world!
o Magic Brian (USA): This high energy, off-beat comedy magic show is full of laughs and surprises. Audiences will be amazed and amused as objects appear and disappear in strange and unusual places.
o Mental Floss Sideshow (Canada / UK): Experience the gob-smacking mystery & knee-slapping hilarity of an old fashioned circus sideshow inside the “Cabinet of Curiosity for the Incurably Curious.” Witness an exclusive, artifact driven collection of cautionary tales, mythic mysteries & perilous adventures.
o Nathaniel Rankin (Toronto): “Borderline Madness” combines state of the art modern magic, circus skills, dangerous stunts, audience interaction, comedy and mind reading and has been performed over 5,000 times in 35 countries and 5 continents. Nathaniel Rankin is the Winner of The Asti Theater Festival in Italy, 1st place gold medalist at the Canadian Association of Magicians and 1st place gold medalist at Magi-Fest U.S.A.
o OKA (Australia): The OKA boys return to Toronto with their earthy, feel good sound of Sunshine rhythm that gives audiences itchy feet and puts a big smile on their faces. They perform a mashup of dance and downtempo electro beats marinated in the Dreamtime didgeridoo spirit of Didgeri-STU’s Australian Indigenous culture. Try to imagine Bob Marley meets Stevie Wonder via the chemical brothers, on acid, playing in a steaming rainforest with a didgeridoo and you are getting close.
o Pete Sweet (USA): “Meet Pete” is an hilarious display of danger, charm and technical virtuosity. Incorporating slack-rope acrobatics, juggling, singing and dancing, Pete Sweet weaves together his diverse physical skills with unbridled comedy. While his wild antics have astounded audiences in more than two-dozen countries worldwide, it is his warm, generous humanity and exuberant love of life that opens their hearts.
o Shay Horay (New Zealand): He is renowned for natural physical comedy, comic timing and improvisational skills. Shay Horay is so funny he should have been twins! He has 20 years of film, television, writing and directing world class comedy under his belt as well as touring in festivals. Horay, aka “The Famous Rubberband Boy,” has worked extensively worldwide performing in over 29 countries, and is the winner of the “Critics Choice Award” at the World Buskers Festival, and a Guinness World Record Holder.
o Silver Elvis (Toronto): Veteran street performer Peter Jarvis performs his unique version of the Memphis mechanical metal man funny he should have been twinspersonators, this is the most unique spin on Elvis you will ever witness.
o Space Cowboy (Australia): 44-time Guinness World Record Holder, The Space Cowboy is a unique and incredibly skilled performer that has been seen in over 30 countries around the world. He has received worldwide acclaim including 3-time winner of the Street Performance World Championships. Prepare yourself for some of the world’s wildest acts including sword swallowing, chainsaw juggling and much more!
o The Twisted Ones (Bowmanville): Led by three-time World Champion Balloon Twister Debbie Stevens, this incredible family creates crazy gigantic balloon creatures and a zillion other awesome balloon creations that will blow your mind.
o Victor Rubilar (Argentina): Last years People’s Choice winner returns! With 18 international awards under his belt, 5 Guinness World Records for his soccer ball stunts, and shows in 42 countries, this international busking star will entertain Toronto audiences and amaze them with jaw-dropping world-class tricks.
In addition to these stellar acts, the festival features a plethora of roaming acts such as stilt walkers and contact jugglers, plus world-class balloon twisters, face painters, chalk-artists, living statues and a great variety of musical acts. Music acts will include performances by: Candy Apple Jazz Band, Captain Cowboy and The Money Maker, Farrucas Latin Duo, Mellow Dee, OKA, Sing Along Tim & The Pacifiers and more to be announced.
For a more detailed performer list, and for information on new acts as they are announced, please visit http://torontobuskerfest.com/.
And check out this video from last year’s festival:
Festival admission is by donation to Epilepsy Toronto, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping more than 40,000 Torontonians with epilepsy and their families through counselling, employment support, advocacy and education.
“Thanks to the generosity of BuskerFest visitors who donate to Epilepsy Toronto, we are able to provide much needed support to the 1-in-100 people in Toronto living with epilepsy,” says Geoff Bobb, Executive Director of Epilepsy Toronto. “This is one of the most amazing festivals in Canada. We are incredibly excited about all of the international and Canadian performers who make this festival come alive and who share their talents at the festival in support of Epilepsy Toronto.”
18th Annual Toronto International BuskerFest for Epilepsy
Friday, September 1 – Monday, September 4, 2017
Woodbine Park in The Beach (1695 Queen Street East)
Friday, noon – 11 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Monday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Admission by donation to Epilepsy Toronto
For more information, visit: www.torontobuskerfest.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/BuskerFestToronto, Instagram & Twitter: @BuskerFestTO #BuskerFestTO #BuskersAtTheBeach
Report by: CMN News
