YouTube FanFest will make its North American debut in Toronto on May 2nd

Live event at Yonge-Dundas Square will showcase top Canadian and global YouTube talent

TORONTO, March 31, 2015 /CNW/ - YouTube FanFest is coming! On Saturday, May 2nd, Toronto will welcome some of the biggest Canadian and international YouTube stars for a live showcase in Yonge-Dundas Square.

The free public show will allow fans to get up close and personal with their favourite YouTube stars for an evening of laughter, music, mashups and more. This will be the first of these wildly popular events to take place in North America - previous FanFests have been held in India, Singapore, Thailand, Korea, Australia and Japan.

"Canadians are among the world's most dedicated and passionate YouTube fans," said Laura Lee, Global Head of Top Creators, YouTube. "YouTube FanFest is a one of a kind experience and we can't wait to share the excitement with fans in Toronto."

"We are thrilled that the first YouTube FanFest to land in North America is going to be in Toronto, which is a hotbed of creativity on YouTube," said Sam Sebastian, General Manager of Google Canada. "For nearly a decade, Canadians have embraced the creative power of YouTube to share their music, their comedy, their stories and their ideas. As a result, they have found new audiences for their work, both at home and around the world."

Hosted by Montreal-based food crew Harley Morenstein and Epic Meal Time, YouTube FanFest in Toronto will include an incredible mix of music, comedy, fashion, education and beauty all together on one stage and feature superstar YouTube creators and rising talent from Canada and across the globe. The combined reach of the participating YouTube creators is 59.9 million subscribers, with a cumulative 6.8 billion views.

Jenna Marbles  (14.8 million subscribers) Bethany Mota  (8.4 million subscribers) IISuperwomanII  (5.3 million subscribers) LaurDIY  (1.4 million subscribers) David Choi  (992 thousand subscribers) Michael Stevens of Vsauce (8.5 million subscribers) Veritasium  (2.2 million subscribers) Kina Grannis (1 million subscribers)

Kurt Hugo Schneider (5.2 million subscribers) Macy Kate (186 thousand subscribers) JusReign (472 thousand subscribers) Daniela Andrade (534 thousand subscribers) Mike Tompkins  (1.4 million subscribers) Madilyn Bailey (2 million subscribers) Harley Morenstein and Epic Meal Time (6.7 million subscribers)

QUOTES FROM YOUTUBE PARTICIPANTS
"I could not be more thrilled to be part of the first YouTube FanFest Canada in Toronto," said Lilly Singh, the wildly successful Canadian comedian known as IISuperwomanII.  "I have participated in these events all over the world, but performing and celebrating with Team Super on my home turf will be something really special."

"I'm so excited to visit Toronto for FanFest!" said Bethany Mota, the teen superstar who rose to fame with through haul videos and beauty tutorials. "Last time I visited Toronto was so much fun and I know that bringing this event there will be crazy and fun!"

"I'm so excited for FanFest Toronto, I've never had an opportunity to meet my Canadian internet friends so I'm really pumped to go and finally make that happen," said Jenna Marbles, the entertainer who currently operates one of the most successful channels on YouTube globally.

THE DETAILS
YouTube FanFest in Toronto is a non-ticketed, free event taking place on Saturday, May 2nd, 2015. The Red Carpet starts at 5:00 p.m. E.T. and the main show will start at 8 p.m. E.T.

For more details, visit www.youtubefanfest.com. Follow the conversation with the official hashtag #YTFFTO across the web:

• YouTube: FanFest
• Facebook: YouTubeFanFest                              
• Twitter: @YouTubeFanFest                               
• Instagram: @youtubefanfest                  
• Google+:  YouTubeFanFest                               

For images, b-roll and backgrounders, please visit the YouTube FanFest press site: https://sites.google.com/site/ytfanfesttoronto/     

ABOUT YOUTUBE
YouTube™ is the world's most popular online video community allowing millions of people to discover, watch and share original videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube, LLC is based in San Bruno, California, and is a subsidiary of Google Inc.

ABOUT THE YOUTUBE FANFEST
The YouTube FanFest is a multi-day festival which gives fans the unique opportunity to connect with their favourite international and local YouTube stars. An entertainment and energy fuelled extravaganza, the YouTube FanFest debuted in Singapore in 2013 and toured to packed venues in India, Singapore, Australia, Korea and Japan in 2014 with its unique format of Shows, Red Carpets, Meet and Greets, Artist Collaborations and Creator Academies.  In 2015, YouTube FanFest takes center stage and returns to India, Singapore, Korea, Australia and Japan as well as debuting in Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and its first North American destination - Toronto, Canada. The YouTube FanFest is founded and co-produced by Branded Limited, a multi-award winning company expert in making connections that add value to the media, sports and entertainment industries with dynamic conferences, live music festivals, academies, and youth fan events, primarily in Asia Pacific. Branded is an independent company staffed by passionate multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-talented individuals with offices in Hong Kong (HQ), Singapore and New York.

SOURCE Google Canada

or to schedule an interview, please contact: Jennifer Kaiser, Google Canada, [email protected]