[2026] Guide to Music Festivals and Outdoor Events in Hokkaido and the Tohoku Region

College of Rock is a music event held twice a year—in summer and winter—in Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture. As the name suggests, it’s a festival planned and run mainly by college students and other young people. In summer, it takes place on an outdoor stage set up at the Ishigami-no-Oka Museum, and in winter, it’s hosted across multiple live houses in central Morioka, featuring many young bands. There also appears to be an open application process, so if you’re in a band in the Tohoku region, why not give it a try and enter?

This is a Christmas event held in Hakodate, Hokkaido. While the event itself runs from December 1 to 25, “Fantastic Eve” takes place on the 23rd and 24th, and a “Christmas Night Ceremony” is held on the evening of the 25th. Since it’s Hokkaido, there’s a high chance of a white Christmas, making this one of the Christmas events you’ll definitely want to check out.