2026 Roundup of Popular Winter Festivals: Music Festivals for the Cold Season

Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICHane Keisuke
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. JFC-certified fact-checker. After working in a music studio and handling wedding sound, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with a variety of instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in junior high school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on my own musical activities and the experience gained through my work, I produce daily articles, including various song introductions, features on music festivals around the country, and live reports. In music, I enjoy not only rock from Japan and abroad but, lately, a wide range of J-pop as well.

Until now, when people talked about music festivals, the standard was summer festivals held outdoors.

But lately, winter festivals held during the colder months have also become the norm.

Most winter festivals are indoor events held in large halls or exhibition centers, and even in the cold of winter, the venues are filled with excitement.

In this article, we’ll introduce a whole lineup of these hot winter music festivals!

From Christmas events and countdown events to those held right after the New Year, there’s a full schedule.

Past events

KOBE MUSIC COMMONSTue, 12/30 Hyogo Prefecture

Schedule	Tuesday, December 30, 2025
place	Hyogo Prefecture, Kobe City, GLION ARENA KOBE
Website	https://kobe-music-commons.com/
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New Year Rock FestivalWed, 12/31 Tokyo, Japan

newyearrockfestival.com

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.

Schedule	Wednesday, December 31, 2025
place	Shibuya Stream Hall, Shibuya, Tokyo
Website	https://newyearrockfestival.com/

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Ichariba Festival Countdown Fest in AtsugiWed, 12/31 Kanagawa Prefecture

Schedule	Wednesday, December 31, 2025
place	Kanagawa Prefecture, Atsugi City, Rembrandt Hotel Atsugi

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Momoiro Uta GassenWed, 12/31 Kanagawa Prefecture

Schedule	Wednesday, December 31, 2025
place	Yokohama Arena, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture

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Countdown Festival Kobe IlluminarieWed, 12/31, Hyogo Prefecture

illuminagegroup.com

Schedule	Wednesday, December 31, 2025
place	Hyogo Prefecture, Kobe City, Roadside Station Kobe Fruit & Flower Park Osawa
Website	https://illuminagegroup.com/
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Huis Ten Bosch CountdownWed, 12/31 Nagasaki Prefecture

http://www.huistenbosch.co.jp

This is a New Year’s Eve event held at Huis Ten Bosch, a theme park in Nagasaki Prefecture. Fireworks are launched along with the countdown, making it a festive way to ring in the New Year. It’s said to be the largest fireworks display in Japan held on New Year’s Eve.