A hype cheer song for school culture festivals—music that colors your memories.
At school festivals, there are exhibits, food stalls, various events, and stage performances, right?
At some schools, they even choose a theme song each year to make the festival even more exciting.
Do you ever find it hard to decide which songs to pick for the different moments?
In this article, we’ll spotlight cheer songs that fit perfectly with school festivals.
While many people associate them with sports, there are also songs that cheer you on in life and tracks that capture that perfect youthful vibe for a school festival—so use this as a reference!
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- Songs that hype you up just by listening—recommended tracks from timeless classics to the latest releases
- Dance/popular songs ranking for the school cultural festival
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- Fight songs from the good old days! Showa-era classics you should listen to when starting school
- [Culture and School Festival Songs] A curated selection of popular and hit songs to brighten up your venues and events!
- [Youth Anthems] A curated selection of popular and latest songs to hype up your school cultural festival
- A friendship song that fires up the culture festival/school festival
Cheer songs that heat up at school culture festivals. Songs that color your memories (21–30)
Let’s give it a tryWANIMA
This is a song by WANIMA with a powerful sound and a straightforward message.
It’s a cover of the English folk song “The Picnic” with newly written lyrics.
Because the melody is so familiar, the message of the lyrics seems to come through even more directly.
The content reflects the image suggested by the title, offering a strong sense of support for the struggles faced when taking on a challenge toward a goal, while giving you the courage to overcome them.
Live in the present.Saucy Dog
Saucy Dog’s “Live in the Present” is a song about friends who have worked hard together and encouraged one another.
Released in 2022 as their 15th digital single, it was written as the theme song for the 101st All Japan High School Soccer Tournament.
Set to a powerful rock sound, it expresses the strength to confidently stand by the belief that “what we’ve done is not wrong.” With a minimal band setup of guitar/vocals, bass, and drums, it’s also a great choice to include in a setlist for a school or campus festival performance!
Start to shine and run forwardSambomasutā
While songs that are a bit more sophisticated, stylish, and cool are great, I think there are those of us for whom awkward, clumsy youth suits us better.
The rock band Sambomaster’s song “Kagayakidashite Hashitteku” (“Start Shining and Keep Running”).
This straightforward, passionately intense rock number might just be the perfect track to hype up your best day.
With its headlong sense of speed and a melody tinged with a bit of wistfulness, make your once-a-year school or culture festival uniquely yours!
It starts here!DREAMS COME TRUE
From the very moment you start running, this theme song for a sports event by DREAMS COME TRUE gives a powerful push to the beginning of your challenge.
Riding on a lively rhythm that fuses disco sounds with Latin grooves, it carries a heartfelt cheer that resonates with every challenger.
It sings of bonds with friends, hard work and growth, and the courage to make a fresh start, becoming a piece that gently nudges listeners forward.
Released in January 2025, the song was written as the theme for a relay race event commemorating the Osaka-Kansai Expo.
The single, which also includes the theme song for the film “Kaminofude,” marks a milestone work celebrating DREAMS COME TRUE’s 35th anniversary.
It’s a song we hope not only students facing their youth, but everyone about to take a new step in life, will listen to.
VertigoMAN WITH A MISSION
This is a powerful track whose sharp, incisive message captures the turmoil of modern society and the feelings of its people.
The lyrics, which warn against a society that blindly charges forward in pursuit of something “better” and portray the emotional instability of hearts swayed within it, speak to a universal theme anyone can relate to.
Included on the EP “XV e.p.” released in March 2025, it was also used as the promotional song for the near-futuristic sci-fi mecha game Mecha BREAK.
Perfectly linked to the game’s worldview, the song features MAN WITH A MISSION’s signature energetic sound.
It’s an ideal choice for school festivals or cultural festival performances as an anthem cheering on friends taking their next step.
lilacMrs. GREEN APPLE
A song that delicately portrays the brilliance and bitterness of youth, along with the struggles of growing up, was released by Mrs.
GREEN APPLE in April 2024.
It gently embraces moments where the transience of life, the passage of time, hope, and anxiety intersect.
This work is a message song that emphasizes the importance of accepting your past self and finding the courage to move toward the future.
It was chosen as the opening theme for the TV Tokyo anime “Oblivion Battery” and received high acclaim, including winning the Grand Prize at the 66th Japan Record Awards.
With Mrs.
GREEN APPLE’s refreshing pop melodies and profound lyrics in perfect harmony, this piece will gently encourage young people who want to create memories at school festivals and cultural events.
Opening DeclarationNovelbright
With its powerful guitar sound and catchy melody, this song grabs your heart.
The lyrics, filled with determination to charge toward one’s dreams and hope for the future, give listeners a supportive push.
Released in April 2021 as the title track of Novelbright’s major-label debut album “Kaimaku Sengen” (Opening Declaration), it was also chosen as the theme song for Nippon TV’s “Sukkiri” nationwide high school dance club support project.
It’s friendly and relatable for students—perfect for dancing at school festivals.
A track that will capture the hearts of everyone standing on the stage of youth and never let go.