Goafest, South Asia's largest creative festival, is returning to Goa for its 18th edition from May 21 to 23, 2025, at Taj Cidade de Goa Heritage and Horizon. Organised by the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club (TAC), this year’s event will introduce the all-new ‘Goafest Village’ — a first-of-its-kind immersive experience with multiple venues under one roof.
The 2025 theme, ‘Ignite _____,’ aims to spark industry-defining conversations, covering advertising, media, marketing, and consumer engagement. The festival will feature keynotes, panels, and networking sessions, bringing together industry leaders, visionaries, and young talent to explore transformative ideas and trends.
A major highlight will be the ABBY Awards Powered by One Show 2025, recognising outstanding achievements in advertising and media. The awards continue to push creative boundaries, with Rana Barua, President of The Advertising Club, saying that this year’s edition will set new benchmarks in innovation.
Welcoming the festival back to Goa, Prasanth Kumar, President of AAAI and CEO of GroupM South Asia, said, “Goafest has always stood as a beacon of creativity, innovation, and connection. Centered around this year’s theme, ‘Ignite _____,’ the festival aspires to kindle groundbreaking conversations, ignite visionary perspectives, and illuminate the path forward for advertising and marketing.”
Jaideep Gandhi, Chairman of the Goafest 2025 Organising Committee, highlighted that the Goafest Village concept aims to foster collaboration and elevate India’s creative and marketing ecosystem globally. He credited Sam Balsara, Sundar Swamy, and Shashi Sinha as key figures driving this vision.
This year’s festival is powered by Amazon MX Player, with Aruna Daryanani, Director at Amazon MX Player, stating, “Goafest stands as a beacon of excellence in the advertising and media landscape, and we are thrilled to be part of this dynamic celebration of ideas and talent.”
Mohit Joshi, Co-chair of Goafest 2025 and CEO of Havas Media Network India, noted that technology and data are reshaping advertising, and this year’s discussions will focus on innovation, agility, and creativity.
Highlighting the festival’s importance in the advertising and marketing space, Ajay Kakar, Head of Corporate Branding at Adani Group, said, “Goafest has always been a platform where the brightest minds in advertising, media, and marketing converge to exchange ideas and push creative boundaries."
He further said that bringing the festival back to Goa this year was about rekindling the energy and spirit that makes Goafest truly special. "With a larger-than-ever scale, immersive experiences, and an inspiring lineup of industry leaders, Goafest 2025 will be a space where innovation meets opportunity. We also look forward to honoring the best minds in the industry with the ABBY Awards Powered by One Show.”