India’s most awaited celebration of creativity and communication is back in full swing. Goafest 2025, the 18th edition of South Asia’s largest advertising, media, and marketing festival, is gearing up for a grand showcase of ideas, talent, and entertainment from May 21 to 23 at the Taj Cidade de Goa Heritage and Horizon. With this year’s theme ‘IGNITE __’, the festival aims to spark new possibilities, inspire bold thinking, and drive meaningful conversations.

In an official press release shared today, Goafest unveiled its dynamic speaker line-up, which includes over 60 top minds from across the global creative and marketing community. The festival promises more than 35 engaging sessions and 20 curated masterclasses, all designed to shape the future of the advertising and media landscape.

Goafest 2025 will bring together industry leaders like Rishad Tobaccowala, Youri Guerassimov from Marcel, Prasoon Joshi, Amarjit Singh Batra of Spotify, Geetika Mehta from Nivea, Vikram Mehra of Saregama, and Karan Bedi from Amazon MX Player, among many others. The list also features professionals from major brands such as Tata Motors, Marico, HUL, DS Group, Airtel, Swiggy, Voltas, and Google. Joining them will be creative masterminds like Bobby Pawar, Sonal Dabral, Rajdeepak Das, Lulu Raghwan, and more, bringing a wealth of insight and innovation to the stage.

Lending further star power to the event, Goafest will host cricket icon and Team India coach Gautam Gambhir, along with celebrated Bollywood personalities like Kareena Kapoor Khan, Suniel Shetty, Jaideep Ahlawat, Vijay Varma, and filmmaker Ram Madhvani. Renowned wellness expert Luke Coutinho and digital creator Vivek Anchalia will also join the celebrity lineup.

The masterclass segment will be headlined by names such as Nick Eagleton (D&AD), Senthil Kumar (VML), Vara Prasad (ITC), Krishnendu Dutta (Ipsos), Jayant Rajan (Meta), and representatives from Earthday.org, promising a rich and diverse learning experience for attendees.

Ensuring entertainment remains at the heart of the experience, the festival will feature a high-energy live performance by singer Mika Singh, who is expected to light up the stage with his signature flair.

Speaking about the festival’s larger vision, Anupriya Acharya, South Asia CEO of Publicis Groupe and Immediate Past President of The Advertising Agencies Association of India, said, “This year, we’ve designed the festival in a manner that delivers conversations that matter. Every session has been thoughtfully curated to offer value, be it through fresh perspectives, actionable insights, or future-facing ideas. In an industry that is adapting to the fast-evolving pace, we are excited to present yet another power-packed edition of Goafest, further strengthening the platform’s position as one that encourages learning, meaningful exchange, and forward-thinking dialogue.”

Adding to this, Rohit Ohri, Creative Mentor, Goafest 2025, remarked, “Goafest has always stood for creativity that breaks boundaries. With ‘IGNITE __’ as our theme, we’re spotlighting voices that inspire change and fuel bold thinking. This year’s line-up is designed to ignite new possibilities.”

With Amazon MX Player as the title sponsor, Goafest 2025 also introduces the immersive new format—‘Goafest Village’. This vibrant festival hub will feature multi-stage events including Advertising Plays, Advertising Rocks, and GoaFresh, offering a blend of content, creativity, and culture all under one roof.

Attracting over 2,000 professionals from the media, advertising, and marketing ecosystem each year, Goafest is co-hosted by The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club (TAC). The 2025 edition is expected to set a new benchmark in industry festivals with its eclectic mix of global thought leaders, fresh content formats, and inspiring dialogue.