Goafest 2025 announces speakers, masterclasses, and celebrity Guests

Goafest 2025 has revealed its official speaker line-up for the upcoming three-day advertising and media festival, set to take place from 21 to 23 May at Taj Cidade de Goa Heritage and Horizon. In its 18th edition, the festival continues to position itself as South Asia’s leading platform for industry dialogue, with this year’s theme, ‘IGNITE ____’, designed to spark change, foster collaboration, and unlock growth.

More than 60 speakers will appear across 35 sessions and 20 masterclasses, representing key voices from across the advertising, media, and marketing spectrum. The list includes figures such as Rishad Tobaccowala, Youri Guerassimov (Marcel), Prasoon Joshi, Amarjit Singh Batra (Spotify), Geetika Mehta (Nivea), and Vikram Mehra (Saregama), alongside senior marketing leaders from Amazon MX Player, HUL, Marico, Tata Motors, and Airtel.

In addition to professional dialogue, the festival is expected to feature appearances from figures in entertainment and sport. Confirmed participants include India Team Coach and former cricketer Gautam Gambhir, as well as Bollywood personalities Kareena Kapoor Khan, Suniel Shetty, Jaideep Ahlawat, Vijay Varma, and filmmaker Ram Madhvani. Singer Mika Singh will perform live during the festival.

A new experiential feature, ‘Goafest Village’, will debut at this year’s edition. The space will house a variety of themed stages and activations including Advertising Plays, Advertising Rocks, and GoaFresh, aimed at enhancing creative engagement across formats.

Masterclass sessions will draw from both global and Indian institutions, with experts from Google, Meta, ITC, D&AD, and Earthday.org taking part. Noteworthy participants include Nick Eagleton, Senthil Kumar, Jayesh Moorjani, Jayant Rajan, Debapriya Dutt, and Karuna Singh.

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.”

Rohit Ohri, Creative Mentor for Goafest 2025, added, “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.”

Amazon MX Player is the title sponsor for this edition. Goafest 2025 aims to reflect the shifting priorities of the creative industries, offering a space for learning, debate, and collaboration across disciplines.