Kanto’s Popular Music Festivals [2026]: A Complete Guide to Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter Outdoor Events

The New Year Rock Festival, a historic New Year’s Eve rock fest that began in 1973, has long been popular. With the slogan “Kōhaku isn’t the only show in town,” it has been cherished as a coveted event for rock bands. After organizer Yuya Uchida passed away, HIRØ from Kaiki Gesshoku took over as producer and the festival will be newly held. And in 2020, it will take the form of its first-ever audience-free, live-streamed New Year’s Eve concert—an unprecedented format that’s shaping up to be an event no one could have predicted.

This is our 17th New Year’s Eve concert at Yoyogi Gymnasium, a tradition we’ve kept since 2000. Among fans, Yoyogi is called a “sacred place” and “home,” but it seems it will be unavailable for a while due to renovation work starting in 2017. This time, it looks like the performance will mark an important milestone at this special venue.

As its name suggests, the festival called COUNTDOWN JAPAN traditionally features a countdown at the end of the year. Spanning four days, the festival hosts many remarkably star-studded artists befitting the close of the year. In addition, during the first sunrise of the new year, The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” is played.