List of Rock Festivals in May [2026]

The Kichijoji Music Festival, which began in 1986, is a long-running city festival that will mark its 41st edition in 2026. The venues span all of Kichijoji in Musashino, Tokyo, with eight stages set up around town—including the plaza at the station’s North Exit and the area around Inokashira Park—filling the city with music against the backdrop of a unique culture where bustling commercial districts and residential neighborhoods blend seamlessly. Under the banner of a “festival of culture and creativity,” a diverse range of music—jazz, folk, rock, and more—colors the entire city over three days during the Golden Week holidays.

This is a free outdoor festival produced by VIVA LA ROCK, a music festival originating in Saitama. In 2026, due to the relocation of the main event venue, it will be held at the Saitama Stadium 2002 Park South Plaza and the Daimon Kamiike Regulating Pond Plaza. In addition to music on the GARDEN STAGE, there will be a gathering of attractions for all ages, including festival food booths, a giant inflatable dome, a mascot character show, and a Tyrannosaurus race. With the aim of bringing the joy of festivals to future music fans, it will take place in May 2026.

This open-air music festival from Toyama was named by combining the “wan” of Toyama Bay with the desire to create “the place in the prefecture that gathers the most smiles and love.” Set in Imizu City’s Kaiwomaru Park—one of the prefecture’s premier locations with views of the Shinminato Bridge, the sailing ship Kaiwomaru, and the towering Tateyama Mountain Range—local volunteers continue to hold the event to contribute to the community through music and food. A hallmark of the festival is its family-friendly focus, with nursing rooms, diaper-changing stations, and play areas for children. It will be held over two days during Golden Week in 2026.

Harunone is a spring festival from Osaka where music, pop and subculture, food, and craft and art intersect. The venue is the Osaka-jo Ongakudo, an open-air music hall nestled in Osaka Castle Park, where an open, expansive stage unfolds in the season of fresh greenery. Revived in 2024, it serves as a place to express, to encounter expression, and to learn about expression for people of all generations and values. It will be held during Golden Week in May 2026, when a diverse range of genres resonate together.

“OTODAMA – Onsensoul” is a Japanese rock festival run by the Kansai promoter Shimizu Onsen, held continuously since 2005. The venue is Izumiotsu Phoenix in Osaka, known for its open, seaside setting. Playing on the words “onsen” (hot spring) and “onsen” (sound spring), the grounds feature hot-spring-inspired touches throughout, and its unique worldbuilding—incorporating different motifs each year—is part of the appeal. In May 2026, it will take place over two days during Golden Week.

Imaike Yuran Music Festival is a live-circuit music festival in Nagoya’s Imaike area that started in 2016. With multiple longtime live houses clustered around Imaike Subway Station, attendees can freely move between venues and spend a whole day touring a wide range of genres, including rock, blues, and jazz. The festival also collaborates with the Imaike shopping street, featuring community-wide programs such as open-air karaoke and blues performances. The 13th edition will be held in May 2026.

This is an urban music festival that has continually shared culture from the port city of Kobe. Under the banner “Culture sets sail for its next course,” it offers a captivating space where you can freely explore not only music, but also art, fashion, and food. In 2026, the venue will move from Meriken Park to GLION ARENA KOBE/TOTTEI PARK, taking place in the heart of the city where sea breezes meet an urban vibe. May 2026 marks the festival’s 5th anniversary—when a new voyage finally begins.