Toñita Fest Returns For Its Third Year in Brooklyn With Los Mirlos, Calma Carmona, Afro Dominicano & More
The free New York festival will take place on June 28.
Black News 
Toñita Fest will return to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on June 28 for its third annual edition, bringing a full day of live music, DJs and community programming to the block surrounding Toñita’s Caribbean Social Club. The free festival will feature performances by Los Mirlos, Calma Carmona, Afro Dominicano, Anónima Orquesta and The Salsa Project, among others — along with some surprises — as the beloved neighborhood gathering continues to expand its footprint and cultural reach.
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Now in its third year, the event is set up as a street festival on Grand Street, between Driggs Avenue and Roebling Street, with a main stage and a separate DJ stage, plus food, bars, vendors and community activations designed to turn the block into an all-day celebration. Organizers are also bringing back crowd-friendly attractions including a domino tournament, while adding a mini soccer pitch inspired by the World Cup spirit.
“Another year! It’s incredible to see how the community has embraced this festival in such a short time,” Giovanni González of La Gesta and Toñita’s manager tells Billboard. “We put in the work and the heart, but it’s the love people have for Toñita that has made it grow and become what it is today.”
“Toñita is a living legend. Her presence, resilience, resistance and joy are a true testament to Puerto Rican pride!” adds Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Calma Carmona. “I’m truly honored to be a part of Toñitas Fest. I was born to do it.”
Peruvian cumbia legends Los Mirlos say, “Bringing the mystical echo of our psychedelic Amazonian cumbia to the concrete jungle of New York at Toñita Fest is an infinite pride — a burst of energy and roots that will make the heart of the Big Apple vibrate.”
This year’s music programming is designed to build momentum early and sustain it through the evening. According to organizers, Calma Carmona and Los Mirlos will perform during the earlier hours to encourage fans to arrive early, before the festival moves through salsa, bomba y plena, merengue, and a closing stretch that blends salsa and música urbana.
The festival will also include a 4 p.m. ceremony honoring Toñita, when community members will gather to recognize the matriarch and present the Toñita Fest Award to notable local figures. On the DJ side, the community stage is slated to feature names including DJ EU, Gia Fu, Marti Pritz and Papi Weli, broadening the event’s Latin music palette throughout the day.
“Brooklyn is where Afro Dominicano was born, so playing Toñita Fest 2026 feels like homecoming,” Adriano Brito of Afro Dominicano says. “Toñita’s is a cultural landmark that represents the heart of our community, and it’s an honor to celebrate our roots on that stage.”
“Thank you to Toñita’s for the trust and the opportunity to share our music with the community,” Anónima Orquesta says. “It is an honor to return to the place where Anónima Orchestra was born.”
For festivalgoers looking for more than music, Toñita Fest will host salsa competitions with prizes including concert tickets, trips to Puerto Rico and access to Buena Vista Social Club on Broadway, in addition to the returning domino tournament. Sponsors for this year’s edition include Adidas, Medalla, Buchanan’s, JetBlue, Mamitas Ices, Total Wireless, Hennessy, the Brooklyn Nets and the NYPD Hispanic Society.
The event also comes amid growing recognition for Toñita beyond the block: In recent years, the Caribbean Social Club icon has become an increasingly visible cultural figure, including appearing during Bad Bunny’s halftime show — a sign of how deep her legacy runs across generations of Latin music. Read more about her recent community recognition here.
