Ten female dancers dressed in deep blue lehengas captivated travellers at Toronto Pearson Airport’s first Bollywood dance flash mob, marking the first day of Diwali. The visually stunning opening act showcased Bollywood’s grandeur at the same time as Halloween.

This year, Halloween and Diwali shared the same day. The two events are culturally contrasting celebrations of light and darkness. While Halloween embraces darkness, Diwali is about light. For the first time, Toronto Pearson Airport hosted a two-day Bollywood dance show to mark the Festival of Lights.

A trio dressed in bright turquoise lehengas and Kansushree in a bright yellow lehanga performed a crowd favourite on Ghar More Pardesiya with diyas. Six Bhangra dancers joined in with their traditional dance moves and singing folk songs. Travellers normally rushing to catch flights paused to smile, clap, and even joined in the dances. Employees immersed themselves in the interactive festive event.

“It was a moment where the vibrancy of Diwali reminded everyone that celebration has the power to pause even the busiest lives,” said Kanushree Jain. She is the Sufiana Dance Company’s Artistic Director.

Melissa LaGrotta from Avolta is the company managing the Duty-Free Store. She was the brainchild of the event. LaGrotta recognized the importance of Diwali for their clients flying between Canada, India, and Dubai during the holidays. She and her team organized a special interactive Diwali event — a Bollywood flash mob accompanied by a dhol player — with the help of Jain.

“I felt it was important to include Bhangra dancers to represent the significant Sikh population in Canada, particularly in Mississauga, where the airport is located,” Jain said.

The Diwali show transformed the airport from an international transit hub of connecting flights into a vibrant cultural stage for human connection, where hundreds of diverse people danced together to celebrate the Festival of Lights. The celebration made people feel at home —  whether they were heading toward it or leaving it behind.