Nearly 50,000 fans take in Diljit Dosanjh concert at Toronto’s Rogers Centre

Punjabi pride took centre stage at the Rogers Centre Saturday evening with Diljit Dosanjh putting on an electrifying performance as his Dil-Luminati tour ended in Toronto with nearly 50,000 fans in attendance.

In a North American tour that has seen months of pulse-pounding Punjabi rhythms from the West Coast to the East, local fans have been eagerly awaiting the show.

At Toronto’s Festival of India on Saturday, fan Anuj told City News, “I have seen a lot of different DJs playing Punjabi music across the world. This is something very big for all of the fans and I’m pretty sure people will be travelling to see Diljit performing live.”

Mississauga resident Rajinder Kaur Malhi anticipating the show for weeks.

“My family is very excited to see Diljit, my granddaughter listens to Diljit’s songs every night before sleeping,” she told OMNI’s Jaspreet Pandher before the concert.

Malhi’s family isn’t the only one who has been preparing for this moment. Try tens of thousands of others.

Dosanjh’s tour launched in April to a sold-out crowd of more than 50,000 in Vancouver, most recently wrapping up in Los Angeles before finally touching down in Toronto. The tour has seen fans of all ages line up to witness the charismatic performer on stages across Canada. That included the Malhi family as all three generations of the household planned on attending.

Malhi’s daughter-in-law, Gurpreet Kaur, told OMNI News that her family purchased tickets as soon as they were released. She said her family has been preparing posters for the star all week. And the youngest Dosanjh fan in her house, 11-year-old son Ranjit, is even hoping his concert swagger catches the eye of the superstar, whose shows have been some of the biggest Punjabi concerts outside of India. Tonight, he planned on emulating the star’s look from the stands.

“He (Diljit) is the first person to embrace the Punjabi traditional attire, kurta pyjama with Jordan shoes on the international stage,” said the 11-year-old fan, in awe of his on-stage idol.

The generational appetite for Dosanjh could mean more than just music. Dosanjh’s concert comes at a time when Punjabi music’s visibility has never been stronger on an international stage. Aside from the tour, Dosanjh appeared on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in June in traditional Punjabi attire. This past spring, Canada witnessed its first Punjabi Juno Award winner when Karan Aujla took the revered Fan Choice Award.

For some, these moments mark not only musical milestones but a statement solidifying cultural recognition.

“He is making Punjabi music recognized all over the world,” said fan Rishi at the Festival of India.

“Punjabi music is more regional music and so I am proud that he is making this music shine all over the world.”