Popular Festival Song Rankings [2026]

Those summer fireworksDREAMS COME TRUE64rank/position

DREAMS COME TRUE – That Summer’s Fireworks – SENKOU-HANABI VERSION – (from DWL 2015 Live Ver.)

DREAMS COME TRUE, a band popular across all ages and genders, delivers a fleeting love song themed around fireworks in “Fireworks of That Summer.” The lyrics evoke empathy as they depict memories sparked by fireworks—recalling an ex-lover with lingering feelings after a breakup.

If you have memories of falling in love during summer festival season, be sure to give it a listen.

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Saitō Ayumu

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Tokyo Summer SessionHONEY WORKS65rank/position

HoneyWorks “Tokyo Summer Session feat. CHiCO”

This is a song by the hugely popular unit HoneyWorks that sings about a summer festival.

The standout feature is, without a doubt, the lyrics written as a dialogue between a boy and a girl! It portrays a couple who seem just about to get together, and as you listen you can’t help but feel that excited “Come on, just take one more step already!!” It’s charming for its catchy, quintessentially HoneyWorks style and its cute, youth-filled lyrics, making it one of the top recommendations among songs about summer festivals.

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Hane Keisuke

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summer festivalJITTERIN’JINN66rank/position

Jitterin’ Jinn / Summer Festival (Jitterin’ Jinn / Natsumatsuri) [MV]

This is the fourth single by the rock band JITTERIN’JINN, who became the sixth “King” on the popular audition show Miyake Yūji no Ikasu Band Tengoku and rose to fame with songs centered on a two-beat rhythm.

Known as a classic summer song in J-pop, it reached an even wider audience when the girls’ band Whiteberry covered it in 2000.

The lyrics, which depict bittersweet memories, likely resonated with many listeners who overlaid them with their own experiences.

With festival-evoking beats, a rockabilly atmosphere, and a lyrical guitar solo, it’s an outstanding track that showcases a uniquely imaginative world only JITTERIN’JINN could express.

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Hoshino Takashi

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Midsummer FireworksLIL LEAGUE67rank/position

LIL LEAGUE “Midsummer Fireworks” Music Video

A gem of a love song that likens a once-in-a-lifetime summer romance to the fleeting brilliance of fireworks painting the night sky.

Released in July 2025 as the fifth single, it was selected as the ending theme for Nippon TV’s “Wednesday Platinum Night.” Layering vocals over a dance track with traditional Japanese flair, it portrays a heartrending love.

Just reading the lyrics conjures up the relationship between the two and really tugs at the heartstrings.

Hearing this song will surely bring back the bittersweet memories of summer.

SparkleRADWIMPS68rank/position

Sparkle / RADWIMPS (Cover)

RADWIMPS’s “Sparkle,” which also drew attention for being selected as the theme song for the film Your Name, was used as an insert song during the festival scene.

It’s a beautiful, slightly bittersweet song that conjures up starry skies and summer nights right before your eyes.

It’s a perfect summer memory song for your youth.

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kurichan

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Happy Summer FestivalTEMPURA KIDZ69rank/position

TEMPURA KIDZ 'Happy Summer Festival'

This is a song by the dance-vocal unit TEMPURA KIDZ that sings about festivals.

The cute, catchy lyrics set to a sparkling sound create a distinctly pop impression.

While the lyrics and music video are inspired by Japanese festivals, the track’s use of electro sounds also gives it the feel of an overseas parade.

It’s an uptempo, fun, and lively song!

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Hane Keisuke

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Nuclear Power Plant Ondo (festival song)THE TIMERS70rank/position

Nuclear Power Ondo - The Timers

Here is “Nuclear Power Plant Ondo” from the collection of festival-chant songs by The Timers, a masked underground blues-rock band led by singer Kiyoshiro Imawano.

While the tune is very bright and cheerful, the lyrics deliver a scathing critique of the nuclear power-based social system.