A spring festival organized by YUMEBANCHI, a company that plans and produces events, kicked off in Okayama in 2023. For locals, it’s exciting not to have to travel out of the prefecture to see those artists come to Okayama! The festival features two stages, the SOLID STAGE and the STRIPED STAGE, so if there’s an artist you absolutely want to be up front for, it’s a good idea to check the setlists in advance and plan accordingly.

Hoshioto is held in Okayama Prefecture. Taking place in the nature-rich city of Ibara, Okayama, as the event title suggests, once night falls you can enjoy a collaboration of beautiful starry skies and music. At hoshioto in 2016, it’s said that a very beautiful starry sky was visible during Sawagi’s headlining set. We’re praying for good weather again this year!

WILD BUNCH FEST. began in 2013 as the successor to SET STOCK, a music festival held in Hiroshima for ten years starting in 1999. One especially striking feature of WILD BUNCH is the small stage called “On the Sea,” which floats on the water in a small cove-like area within the venue and is used only for the closing act. Since it’s the closing act, the surroundings are fully dark by then, making the live performance on the tiny stage floating on the sea a must-see. Also, last year a campsite was set up inside the venue, allowing attendees to stay overnight from day one to day two, which is another highlight.

As a spin-off of hoshioto, which is held annually in Okayama Prefecture, this event is titled machioto because, unlike hoshioto—which takes place at a campground under starry skies—it is held in live music venues in the city. It’s a circuit-style event that takes place across several live houses in Okayama City. Why not come and discover some new music?