Khalid takes over Toronto’s Sankofa Square for NXNE’s 30th year bash

Last time Khalid was in Toronto, he performed to 40,000-plus fans at Rogers Centre opening for Ed Sheeran. Last night (June 12), he brought the same massive stage presence to a much more intimate setting to ring in 30 years of the city’s NXNE festival.

Headlining Billboard Canada The Stage at Sankofa Square (formerly Yonge-Dundas Square), the ‘American Teen’ artist dug into his sonic archives, performing a 45-minute set of hits from his first three albums alongside his collaborations with Normani (“Love Lies”), Billie Eilish (“lovely”), Benny Blanco and Halsey (“Eastside”), and Marshmello (“Silence” — watch it below).

Perfect downtown Toronto backdrop for a free @thegreatkhalid show at @SankofaSquare for @nxne x @billboardca 🎶 #NXNE30 #NXNE #Khalid pic.twitter.com/ykGe6Xjc0j

— Angela McLean (@angelamcleanx) June 13, 2025

The artist-crowd love was visibly mutual with Khalid throwing up multiple hand hearts and pointing out vintage merch and familiar fans, giving a special shout out to anyone seeing him for the first time.

The night kicked off with performances from a stacked lineup of emerging and established Canadian artists — Alicia Moffet, who got her start on ‘The Next Star,’ Aqyila, who will soon perform at this summer’s can’t-miss Osheaga Music & Arts Festival, Roy Woods, who premiered a short film at TIFF Lightbox earlier in the night, and DJ 4Korners.

NXNE continues through the weekend with panels and networking events by day and Clubland showcases by night.

For a limited time, stream the full sets from Roy Woods, 4Korners, and Khalid on iHeartRadio Canada’s YouTube channel.