Mihoudai, the large circuit festival held every year across multiple live venues around Osaka’s Amerikamura, will be back this year. The lineup is carefully selected by the Mihoudai staff from bands they’ve seen live over the past year, so you can catch a slew of artists who are really on the rise. Looks like we can expect plenty of wonderful bands again this year, don’t you think?

It’s a summer festival hosted by 10-FEET, a three-piece rock band from Kyoto. It began in 2007, but the inaugural event had to be canceled due to a typhoon. However, there’s a saying that festivals canceled by a typhoon in their first year go on to become beloved and popular events… True to that saying, this festival has seen various legends unfold every year—perhaps thanks to the mysterious power of the organizers, the three members of 10-FEET, and all the attendees. The overall atmosphere is known for being warm and friendly among both performers and visitors. It’s an essential event that marks the start of summer in Kyoto.

JOIN ALIVE has been held every year since 2010 at Iwamizawa Park, which features an open-air music hall and the Hokkaido Greenland amusement park. You sometimes hear about music festivals held at amusement parks, but a unique feature of JOIN ALIVE is that you can actually enjoy the rides there as well. This means families can attend without younger children getting bored. Admission is also free for junior high school students and younger, so this event may inspire many children to fall in love with music.

Held since 2009 under the name KESEN ROCK, this event wasn’t started by band members or event promoters, but by ordinary people. It’s described as an event “made entirely by hand without even knowing what a rock festival is,” making it a celebration of true DIY spirit.