Domestic circuit events [2026] City festival list
When it comes to circuit events, they’re not just about music—they can also center on food and visuals, and they often become citywide festivals that make use of the whole town: not only music venues like halls and live houses, but also restaurants, temples and shrines, warehouses, and even streets.
Their appeal lies in the way you can take in the area’s history and culture all at once.
This year as well, circuit events and city festivals are being held all over the country, and they’ve taken root as a solid music culture that goes beyond short-lived trends like the outdoor and DIY booms.
Here’s a roundup of domestic circuit events and music festivals held around town.
- April Music Festivals [2026]: A roundup of spring festivals, outdoor rock fests, and other music events
- November Music Festivals [2026]: A roundup of music events, including autumn festivals and outdoor rock festivals
- March Music Festivals [2026]: A roundup of music events such as spring festivals and outdoor rock festivals
- October Music Festivals [2026]: A roundup of fall festivals, outdoor rock fests, and other music events
- January Music Festivals [2026]: Winter Fests, Outdoor Live Shows, and a Roundup of New Year Music Events
- August Music Festivals [2026]: A roundup of summer festivals, outdoor rock fests, and other music events
- June Music Festivals [2026] Outdoor Festivals & Events Summary
- February Music Festivals [2026]: A roundup of winter festivals, outdoor rock festivals, and other music events
- List of Local Festivals Nationwide [2026]
- Music Festivals in May [2026]: Outdoor Festivals and Events Summary
- July Music Festivals [2026]: A roundup of summer festivals, outdoor rock fests, and other music events
- List of indie festivals nationwide [2026]
- List of Rock Festivals Nationwide [2026]
Tochigi Prefecture
MIYA STREET GIGTochigi Prefecture, Sat 5/23–Sun 5/24
| Schedule | Saturday–Sunday, May 23–24, 2026 |
| place | Tochigi Prefecture, Utsunomiya City, Machikado Plaza / Event Plaza / Bamba Hiroba / Tobu Utsunomiya Department Store Rooftop / Utsunomiya Lala Stage |
| Website | http://miyagig.jp/ |
Gunma Prefecture
Street live in Takasaki, everywhere you lookSun, 5/10 – Gunma Prefecture
This is a citizen-participation event symbolizing “Takasaki, the City of Music,” co-hosted by the City of Takasaki and the Takasaki Otomachi Project. Around 20 genre-specific live spots will be set up around Takasaki Station, and more than 150 musical acts from within and outside the prefecture will perform simultaneously—one of the largest scales in Northern Kanto. A wide array of music, including pop, rock, jazz, folklore, traditional Japanese music, and a cappella, will fill the streets, with the event scheduled for May 2026.
Digest video of Dokomo Kakushimo 2025
| Schedule | Sunday, May 10, 2026 |
| place | Around Takasaki Station, Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture (multiple venues, about 20 locations) |
| Appearance | KiiYama Shoten / Itoshi no Ellies / KIE Anderson / GOODMOON / From A / Toru Noda / Classico / EXPG STUDIO OMIYA / H!☆7 / Oto. / Kuma Momoko / I-con / Zunda Akane / JOYFUL PAIR / Rintaro Araki / Gakudan Yonin / Nijiiro no Miju / juri / MOMO & TOMOMI / Baishokai / Takeo Real & Takasaki City Band / Jiguro Kyosuke / BOØGY / Ugokids no Yukaina Nakama / Ryu-RYU- / Sayaka / GoluOlu / e-group + Eiko Tomizawa / skaal / Neko to Shimaaji / West Nest Duck / Occhan On / one more note / Stray☆Boys / Ryokei / Yota Noike / resound / SHIZUKU / Yoko Natsukawa / Gita Papa / February Blue / GON / Okamoto & Watanabe / Glass Beads / S&B / Kazahaya Mari / Bagpiper Onoichi / Chiku Aji / Ame nochi Neko / Miyabi Nakano / Jikijiki / Shin Yoshino / Ah! Wataru Tejima and Sound Bravo / RISE collective sol. / UN-STELLA / Sukiyaki / HoSoVoSo / Alacartet / Shion Ai / Brother’s / OUTRIGGER / Chestnut / Dixie Alla Creators / Synvia Realm / POSTMAN / Ichiko Kitai / Piflu / Wind of the Andes / CatMojo / Omokage / Real / Fractal Sign / Light & Shadow / JION / Okinawa Uta Sanshin Urizun / Stella Spica / Charmo / FOREST / JFact / Usoo-800 / Sasaken Band / Earth Berry / The Birds / Team Kagohara / SPLASH / BTB / Negi Page and the Ayamachi Club / Shichifukujin / Brass Five / Kena hamo / KAME Jiima / Hachauru / Anpan / Shiraho & Tokatoka / Niwaka Kenbunroku / m7♭5 / Tochiotome / Fairies 2/3 / Chika Sawada / Karakkaze / bevvy sponge / FOCUS / Hama-chan & Hug☆-san / UN-ROUTE / Haru Mads / Saint Lead / One hundredS / Lunatic Mode / SPAMACO / Midorimushi / Hikigatari Robin / Kyasai Masashi / Carpediemy / Yukiko & Soncho / Yotsumebishi Satomi / Honey Trap / Ruribitaki / Está muy bonita☆ / Diffuse / TaMa / Nicolina / Nihon Buyo Shokage-ryu / Toshi Ichikawa / Smile / Akane Kayama / Rirakirano / Fushida Trio / Usagi Uno Hana / The Heretics / Toru Natsukiba / UKULELE ATSUSY / Ano Koro no Emotional / SugarLand / Himajin / Spiky Ball / MIYARΦCKBAND / Assort Beat / NYANPLEX / Larasati / Momoiro P Progressive / ROXY / ROLL’s / BOØWY SESSIONS / Y. YAZAWA / Back Nansa / Metaboy / Toramai-shi / HANASAQI MUSIC / Dixie Queens / Rare Unity Jazz Ensemble / Fujiharuka! / Unicolde / take me to the seven / Umineko-ya / Mizuki Fujisawa / The Quintones / Nikaikara Metsubushi / Kaminamienoki Bunko / Merrily morny / Hayashi / Namida-iro Playlist / Chronos / Croissant / Big Wave / Dressing / Pokemon Band / Pain au chocolat / VoxerPants / ApriCot / Grupo Cruz del Sur / Fruits Line / Cross of Red / Nanmoku Mountain Dew / Herkale / FUJICO Project / JAM JUNCTION / Los Andes / Creative Ryukokai BREATH, Guntensho, Kokoro |
| Website | https://takasaki-dokokashi.com/ |
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TAKASAKI CITY ROCK FES.Fri 6/26 – Sat 6/27, Gunma Prefecture
| Schedule | Fri–Sat, June 26–27, 2026 |
| place | Gunma Prefecture, Takasaki City, Takasaki Arts Theater / G Messe Gunma / Takasaki Arena / Around Takasaki Station |
| Appearance | [6/27] Uchikubi Gokumon Doukoukai / Push Pull Pot / yama / and more [6/28] Kyuso Nekokami / Chonouryoku Senshi Dorian / Retororiron / and more |
| Website | https://takasakicity-rockfes.com/ |
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Ishikawa Prefecture
Gargantua Music FestivalIshikawa Prefecture, Tue 4/28–Tue 5/5
The Gargantua Music Festival is a celebration that fills all of Kanazawa with classical music during Golden Week. Centered on the Ishikawa Ongakudo (Ishikawa Prefectural Music Hall), performances unfold across a variety of venues from concert halls to open squares, featuring collaborations with traditional performing arts and initiatives for citizen participation. In addition to full-scale performances by top orchestras and soloists, the festival offers entertainment-rich programs that can be enjoyed by both children and adults. In 2026, under the theme “The Top 10 Composers You Choose: A Decade of Musical Journeys in Hokuriku–Kanazawa,” it will be held from April through May.
Gargantua Music Festival 2025 May 5 Official Digest Video!
| Schedule | Tuesday, April 28, 2026 – Tuesday, May 5, 2026 |
| place | Ishikawa Prefecture, Kanazawa City, 20-1 Showa-machi, Ishikawa Prefectural Music Hall and Kanazawa City Art Hall, around Kanazawa Station |
| Appearance | Yuko Amanuma / Arist Sham / Anke Schwabe / Shinichiro Ikebe / Kumi Ishikawa / Yuka Ishimaru / Kento Ito / Akio Ueki / Chie Ehara / Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa / Naoto Otomo / Yuka Ohno / Yasuji Ohagi / Kanna Ogawa / Mino Kabasawa / Giedrė Dirvanauskaitė / Erika Kiko / Naoki Kitajima / Karen Kitamura / Gidon Kremer / Yoshihisa Kihara / Ayako Kimura / Eiko Kumagai / Toshiki Kurihara / Megumi Kurose / K BALLET STUDIO / Georgijs Osokins / Eiko Koizumi / Cocomi / Hayato Kodama / Chosei Komatsu / Kornilios Mihalidis / Yohei Kondo / Masamasaru Sakaguchi / Tomoki Sakata / Taiku Mito / Shunpei Shirakawa / Manashi Shiratama / Sing Gospel Unity Choir / Dairo Suga / Jurika Takeda / Rikino Takeda / Mutsuko Tajima / Min Tanaka / Hirokazu Taniguchi / Mutsumi Taniguchi / Shogo Tsukada / Mai Tsugumi / Rieko Tsuno / DiVa / Naoko Terai / Takuma Terashima / Miyu Teramatsu / Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra / Mai Tosya / Sho Tomita / Akiko Tomihira / Takashi Niigaki / Niu Niu / Ryusuke Numajiri / Mona Hattori / Haruki / Yoshiko Hannya / Kana Hirano / Junichi Hirokami / Keita Matsui / Matija Meic / Michael Balke / Akira Miyagawa / Naoki Miyazato / Dai Miyata / Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz Orchestra (Munich) / Yukari Yamada / Yukiko Yamamoto / Abigail Young / Lucian Kraznets / Réka Kristóf / LEO / Emi Wakui |
| Website | https://www.gargan.jp/ |
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Fukui Prefecture
Takefu International Music FestivalFukui Prefecture, Sun 8/30 – Sun 9/6
| Schedule | Sun Aug 30, 2026 – Sun Sep 6, 2026 |
| place | Various locations in Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture |
| Website | http://takefu-imf.com |
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Niigata Prefecture
Yahiko Jazz FestaSun, 9/27 Niigata Prefecture
| Schedule | Sunday, September 27, 2026 |
| place | Niigata Prefecture, Nishikanbara District, Yahiko Village, Yahiko Onsen town (multiple venues) |
| Appearance | SWAMP GYPSY CARAVAN / Niigata Jazz Study Group / LIQUID PARKS / Natalie Ishida & Kumiko Enomoto with FRIENDS / Shegansa / Yuko Tamura Wa-Jazz Band / Tango Echigorian / JAZZ TONE / Joni Masa + Dr. Oguro / Jumpei Yamane Trio / Yuichi Sato Trio & Naomi Yoshikawa / Mayumi Gondo & JAZZ DIGGERS / Howan’s / Minagawa Yamagishi / Mutsumi Yoshida & Jun Inoue feat. Yasuhiko Abe / Bossa Cordeon / LALALA BLESSING NIIGATA / Daisy / JUST FINE DAY! / Natalie Ishida with FRIENDS / Harmonia / sweet swing / Naoko Watanabe & Kimiko Ebi DUO / CHIAKI KLEIN / HANANO TRIO / Gakuchan (Manabu Ota) / Yahiko Junior High School Brass Band / Kanade Ikegaya / YAHIKO “Usagi” Jazz Band / Hanatsuzumi (hanako) / Nakanokuchi Jr. Brass with OAP’s / GRIP |
| Website | https://yahikojazz.jp/ |
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Nagano Prefecture
MADARAO JAZZAug 29 (Sat)–30 (Sun), Nagano Prefecture
| Schedule | Saturday–Sunday, August 29–30, 2026 |
| place | Madarao Kogen, Nagano Prefecture |
| Website | http://www.madaraojazz.com/ |
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