Music festivals in eastern Japan held during Golden Week [2026]

SANNOHE SOUNDS SHOWER is a music event held every year on May 4 at the event stage and plaza of Sannohe Castle Ruins Shiroyama Park, a nationally designated historic site in Sannohe, Aomori Prefecture. Launched in 2017 and organized by the local group “Sakura to Suteki na Nakamatachi,” it features around 14 performing bands, along with a green market of handmade artisans, kitchen cars (food trucks), and local shops, offering music, food, and shopping for the whole family. There are also playground facilities around the plaza, making it a comfortable place for visitors with children.

A one-day-only festival held at the Shuji Terayama Memorial Hall in his hometown of Misawa, Aomori, to coincide with Shuji Terayama’s memorial day, “Shuji-ki.” Hosted by Terayama World, the event will unfold across the outdoor multipurpose space and inside the hall, featuring a reading of “Ware ni Gogatsu o” by students of Misawa Municipal Horiguchi Junior High School, the Odradek Roadside Theater by Shoichi Fukushi, a woodworking play area, the Terayama Market, and more. The finale will be a special live performance by actor Hiroshi Mikami. Scheduled for May 2026.

Sendai Street Operation is an open-air free live music event that has been held since 2016 in the heart of Sendai, the City of Trees. Multiple stages are set up along the Jozenji-dori green belt, creating a format where visitors can encounter a wide variety of music as they stroll. Operated by hand primarily by young singer-songwriters, it serves as a place that connects local artists with a broad range of generations who may not usually visit live music venues. The 53rd edition will be held in May 2026.

Iizaka Onsen Ongura is a music event held on the outdoor stage of the Lower Storehouse at the Former Horikiri Residence, a nationally registered tangible cultural property in Iizaka Town, Fukushima City. Set within a tourism and exchange facility developed from the estate of a prosperous farming family dating back to the Edo period, the event features a layout that lets audiences enjoy live performances up close in a space that highlights the earthen storehouse’s charm and the calm ambiance unique to a hot spring town. Hot springs and historic buildings are scattered around the venue, making it perfect to enjoy alongside a stroll through the town. It will be held during Japan’s Golden Week in May 2026.