[Uplifting Songs] A curated selection of popular and latest tracks to energize your school cultural festivals!

superstarKetsumeishi

Ketsumeishi “Superstar”

This song features a captivating blend of hip-hop and pop, filled with messages of positivity and encouragement.

It celebrates everyone’s innate talents and charms, emphasizing the importance of believing in one’s potential.

Released on November 4, 2020 as Ketsumeishi’s 33rd single, it was also selected as the theme song for the TV Asahi anime Crayon Shin-chan starting October 3 of the same year.

The music video, filmed entirely in India, visually expresses its brightness and uplifting message.

Perfect as a cheer song for school sports days and athletic festivals, this track energizes listeners and gently supports those striving toward their goals—truly an ideal anthem of encouragement.

We’ve gotta do what seems impossible.Sambomasutā

I’ve gotta do the thing that seems impossible.

A powerful anthem that gives you a push in those youthful moments.

Released by Sambomaster in February 2010, this song carries a warm message that boosts self-affirmation and the spirit to take on challenges.

Centered on themes of “not giving up,” “moving forward,” and “possibility,” it offers a gentle embrace for everyone’s anxieties and doubts while giving the courage to take a new step.

It has been featured in a Nissan commercial and as the image song for the film Cheer☆Dance, resonating with many hearts.

It’s a classic that students training for sports festivals, as well as anyone standing at a crossroads in life, should hear.

Start to shine and run forwardSambomasutā

Sambomaster / Starting to Shine and Run - MUSIC VIDEO

It’s a cheer song brimming with youthful passion and hope.

It portrays a protagonist who carries deep pain in their heart and feels on the verge of losing themselves, yet by accepting that suffering, the work gives them the courage to take a new step forward.

Released by Sambomaster in August 2018, the track was chosen as the theme song for the TBS Friday drama “Cheer☆Dan,” and, alongside the story of high school students striving to conquer the United States, left a lasting impression on many viewers.

This piece is also perfect as background music for school sports days and athletic festivals, gently supporting students who give their all and sweat it out together with their friends.

School HeavenFingā 5

School Heaven

If you’re looking for a song that’s been a staple at school festivals for years, we recommend “Gakuen Tengoku” by Finger Five.

It’s a classic among classics and popular across a wide range of generations.

The moment this song starts, it instantly brings out the school festival vibe, making it perfect as background music to set the mood! It’s great not only for singing and dancing, but also as BGM during stage transitions.

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Saitō Ayumu

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Indigo squaredYorushika

Yorushika – Blue Squared (Music Video)

Formed by composer n-buna and vocalist suis, Yorushika is a duo rock band that has gained popularity for its literary lyrics and delicate, ephemeral vocals.

Their first digital-only single, “Ainijou” (Indigo Twice), resonates with a story that captures the disillusionment and sense of loss of growing up, while still finding hope within it.

The song has a driving feel with intricate beats, and both the guitar and bass lines are highly active right from the intro, so it requires not only individual practice but also tight coordination as a band.

It’s a fitting number for a school festival—the kind of song listeners will likely relate to and hear as their own story.

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Hoshino Takashi

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DREAMERIkuta Rira

DREAMER

A gently embracing song that captures the feelings of young people chasing their dreams was released by Lila Ikuta in March 2025.

This work conveys a strong will to stay true to a passion for music while facing one’s inner self and overcoming anxieties and conflicts about the future.

The lyrics, filled with Ikuta’s authentic feelings, resonate deeply with listeners.

Released in three formats as a track on the single CD Hyakka Ryoran, it gained attention as an insert song in the drama Paripi Komei.

It’s a perfect cheer song for friends striving toward their dreams on culture festival and school festival stages, and a reliable companion when you want to rally yourself.

One Heartatarashii gakkou no rīdāzu

ATARASHII GAKKO! – One Heart (Official Music Video)

As a cheer song coloring a page of youth, a moving track was released by ATARASHII GAKKO! in March 2025.

Conveying the importance of living true to yourself and packed with the courage to face forward together with your friends, this work deeply resonates with the younger generation.

With powerful vocals and dynamic dance performances, it’s full of strength that seems to blow away the anxieties and doubts everyone feels.

Written specifically as the theme song for Bourbon’s “Fettuccine Gummi” commercial, the music video—filmed together with 300 fans—has been crafted into an inspiring visual that unites the hearts of its viewers.

It’s the perfect song not only for students feeling uneasy while preparing for school festivals and cultural events, but for anyone about to take a new step forward.