TD Bank Group has returned as a sponsor of the 37th edition of the Beaches Jazz Festival in Toronto, joining a lineup of sponsors that includes Bell Canada, Rogers, Ford, Maple Lodge Farms and Sephora. This is TD’s 33rd year sponsoring the festival.
As part of the collaboration, TD will host the Workshop Series in Woodbine Park, which will feature a variety of musical performances by professional and aspiring artists from the Canadian music scene, food trucks, vendors and an outdoor beer garden. The brand will also sponsor the Salsa on the Beach Latin music celebration and the TD Weekend, a retro hip-hop party featuring emerging reggae artists. The sponsorship wil be amplified through online video, digital and print ads, Instagram stories, and social posts on Facebook, Instagram, and/or LinkedIn.
Alicia Rose, associate VP, social impact Canada, sustainability and corporate citizenship at TD Bank Group, said the brand has a long-standing commitment to supporting initiatives and festivals to help bring people together. The company, which has just renewed its partnership with the Juno Awards as title sponsor and official bank for the 14th consecutive year, aims to highlight its TD Ready Commitment initiative, which focuses on supporting communities and promoting growth.
“Supporting festivals like Beaches International Jazz Festival is one way we help bring the TD Ready Commitment to life while deepening our impact within local communities across Canada,” Rose said.
The festival, which typically attracts more than 800,000 visitors each year, is a good platform for connecting with a diverse, multi-generational audience, including music enthusiasts, food and culture lovers and influencers, according to the company. The event also plays a vital role in promoting Canadian music, fostering community and driving local economic growth.
Its sponsorship comes at a time when arts and cultural events in the country are facing challenges after losing major sponsors in recent years. In February, Pride Toronto told CBC that three major corporate sponsors operating in Canada and the U.S. had withdrawn their funding this year. The festival said the loss of support was related to an executive order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump in January, which ordered an end to all DEI programs, mandates, policies, programs, preferences and activities in the U.S. government. Companies may be withdrawing public support for 2SLGBTQ+ organizations for fear of losing U.S. government support, according to the festival.
Last year, Toronto’s Just for Laughs comedy festival, which was scheduled to take place in September 2024, was also cancelled after event organizers stated they were restructuring their operations. Netflix stopped sponsoring several development programs at Canadian arts institutions and Scotiabank ended its sponsorship of Toronto’s Contact Photography Festival after a decade of collaboration.
