List of Rock Festivals in May [2026]
As the seasons shift from spring to early summer, many of you may feel the urge to soak up music outdoors with your whole body.
Enjoying the sound of a live band echoing under a blue sky in such pleasant weather can be a special experience that makes you forget the hustle and bustle of daily life.
In this article, we’ll introduce a roundup of rock festivals taking place in May.
Each event differs in atmosphere, location, and accessibility, so find your favorite and use this guide to plan a thrilling musical experience!
- Music Festivals in May [2026]: Outdoor Festivals and Events Summary
- [GW] Music Festivals Held During Golden Week [2026] — List of Rock and Outdoor Festivals
- List of Rock Festivals in the Kanto Region [2026]
- June Rock Festival Calendar [2026]
- April Music Festivals [2026]: A roundup of spring festivals, outdoor rock fests, and other music events
- List of Rock Festivals Nationwide [2026]
- Music festivals in eastern Japan held during Golden Week [2026]
- June Music Festivals [2026] Outdoor Festivals & Events Summary
- Spring Music Festival Schedule Overview [2026]
- Kanto’s Popular Music Festivals [2026]: A Complete Guide to Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter Outdoor Events
- April Rock Festival Calendar [2026]
- [2026] Complete Guide to Summer Festivals in the Kanto Region: Music Festivals and Outdoor Festival Information
- List of Local Festivals Nationwide [2026]
May
HUG ROCK FESTIVALThursday, May 7, Tokyo
HUG ROCK FESTIVAL is a circuit-style festival featuring only female vocal artists, first held in 2015. Organized by Hug Teppei, it takes place across multiple live music venues around Udagawacho in Shibuya, offering a wide variety of stages centered on singer-songwriters. The Golden Week edition on May 7, 2026, is slated to feature dozens of acts, including Kanoerana, Momo Hashizume, and Chiharu Midorimura.
| Schedule | Thursday, May 7, 2026 |
| place | Shibuya City, Tokyo, around Udagawacho (11 venues across multiple live houses) |
| Website | http://hugrock.tokyo/2026_2 |
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CRAFTROCK FESTIVALSat 5/9–Sun 5/10, Tokyo
CRAFTROCK FESTIVAL is a “music and craft beer festival” hosted by the brewery CRAFTROCK BREWING. The venue is Tachikawa Stage Garden, and its hallmark is a schedule that alternates between the hall stage and the outdoor lawn stage, letting you enjoy every artist with no overlapping sets. Powerhouse acts from the rock/pop scene such as STRAIGHTENER, toe, and cero will gather, and you can also savor distinctive craft beers from eight breweries from Japan and abroad. Scheduled for May 2026.
| Schedule | Sat–Sun, May 9–10, 2026 |
| place | Tachikawa Stage Garden, 3-3 Midoricho, Tachikawa-shi, Tokyo |
| Appearance | [5/9] Age Factory / bacho / the band apart / COMEBACK MY DAUGHTERS / KOTORI / THE LOCAL PINTS / LOSTAGE / Nothing’s Carved In Stone / Otoboke Beaver / Sorry Youth (from Taiwan) / Straightener / toe [5/10] cero / goethe / Gusokumuzu / Keishi Tanaka / Lucky Kilimanjaro / LUCKY TAPES / MHRJ / The Omedetaz / Omoideno Yaro A Team / Penthouse / TENDRE / YONA YONA WEEKENDERS |
| Website | https://craftrock.jp/fes2025/ |
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Tank-top FestivalMie Prefecture, Sat 5/9–Sun 5/10
This independently produced festival, hosted by Yabai T-Shirts Yasan, is distinguished by its unique format of renting out the entire Shima Spain Village Parque España theme park in Shima City, Mie Prefecture. Visitors can enjoy attractions in the Spain-inspired park while also taking in live performances: Day 1 features a solo headlining show by Yabai T-Shirts Yasan, and Day 2 is a festive lineup welcoming acts such as ORANGE RANGE and Uchikubi Gokumon Doukoukai. The event will be held over two days, May 9 and 10, 2026.
| Schedule | Sat–Sun, May 9–10, 2026 |
| place | Special Venue at Cibeles Square, Shima Spain Village Parque España, 952-4 Shimoyama, Sakazaki, Isobe-cho, Shima City, Mie Prefecture |
| Appearance | [5/9] Yabai T-Shirts Yasan [5/10] [Cibeles Square] Uchikubi Gokumon Doukoukai / ORANGE RANGE / Su-xing-cyu / HEY-SMITH / Yabai T-Shirts Yasan [Embassy Hall] Wienners / Sabashi-Star (Sabashisuta) / Singer’s High / Chonouryoku Senshi Dorian (Psychic Warrior Dorian) [Colosseum] Takine / Reiwa Roman |
| Website | https://yabaitshirtsyasan.com/tanktopfes2026/ |
MEMORIES OF THE FUTURESat 5/9 – Sun 5/10, Osaka Prefecture
“MEMORIES OF THE FUTURE” is an independent outdoor music and food festival that has been running in Osaka since 2013 and will celebrate its 17th edition in 2026. The venue is around the Flowers and Green Square in Suminoe Park, and the all-day event is free to enter. In addition to live performances and DJs spanning a wide range of genres—from rock and jam bands to acoustic, techno, and house—there will also be local food and handmade craft vendors. Scheduled for May 2026.
| Schedule | Sat–Sun, May 9–10, 2026 |
| place | Osaka Prefecture, Osaka City, Suminoe Ward, Minamikagaya 1-chome, Suminoe Park, Flower and Green Square |
| Appearance | [5/9] [LIVE STAGE] Clap Stomp Swingin’ / Sachiko Maekawa and the Good-Looking Guys / SANMOJI / Vincent Naga Band / comarco / circles of monarch [BERLIN DJ STAGE] SOICHI / ryo (RAISE BOOT) / Koichi / DJ Morita / ushiro [5/10] [LIVE STAGE] Kobeta Piano / Ayaka Nagahama Band Sets / Hyper R!FFlection / painful / Ku’damm / circles of monarch [BERLIN DJ STAGE] AKIHIRO (NIAGARA) / Juri Suzue / CHIHIRO / Ken. Kobayashi / Lucci / ushiro |
| Website | https://mofparty.wordpress.com/ |
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Kobe Shinkaichi Music FestivalHyogo Prefecture, Sat 5/9–Sun 5/10
The Kobe Shinkaichi Music Festival is one of Kobe’s largest outdoor music festivals and will celebrate its 24th edition in 2026. The venues span Minatogawa Park and the Shinkaichi shopping district in Hyogo Ward, Kobe, where a rich variety of genres—rock, jazz, folk, brass, gospel, and more—resonate across distinctive stages such as shopping arcades, plazas, live houses, and the brick-built Minatogawa Tunnel. It’s a beloved early-summer tradition that brings the whole community together, inviting people of all ages to sing, dance, and enjoy. Scheduled for May 2026.
| Schedule | Sat–Sun, May 9–10, 2026 |
| place | Hyogo Prefecture, Kobe City, Hyogo Ward, around Minatogawa Park and the Shinkaichi Shopping Street (multiple stages) |
| Appearance | [5/9] [Main Stage] Risa Nakamura / Tairiku BAND / Ganseki / PINDON`z / umizora / Kyoto University Dark Blue New Sounds Orchestra / Slow’n Steady / Quncho with THE THIRD STONE BAND / Namimori Drops / Osaka Victory Choir / Modern Choki Chokies [Minatogawa Hall] Peeps Leafs / REVIVAL / THE CHOICE / Drinkin’ Wonders / Sugar Cry / Kansai Lodging Second-Years / The BoogieRockets / DREAMS CAN TRUE / Back and Tip / Gyarandou / Horumon King [Square] Tabula Rasa / Butterfly / Akawain / THE Nankuru Minaen / Yuunagi BLEND / Matsutaku / Hannibal Magdas & ERIKO / Ago-chan / Tatsuru & LINKSTONE / The Bigood! / Tsuki Tokage (Moon Lizard) / Nanchatte Blues Band [Art Plaza] Kokomi / Akiwo / Dolphin Club / Haruyo Kimura & Shingo Tsutsui / clocca / Ukulele Swing Trio / Aiken-ka (Pet Dog Section) / Rocktanz / Yumi Mizuno & Nobuyuki Funaoka Duo / Yuzuki Yuki / Kobe Higashimachi Machiai Gakudan / Cocodrilo [BIGMAN] Fairy Brass Band KOBE & KOBE CORY BAND / Funky Rabbits / Pan de Ring / OKJO / Kobe Gospel Choir Angels / Kotobuki Funk / Ikoma City Side Jazz Orchestra / JOETALK / KIKKA Ensemble / Sunfish 6-Horn Little Big Band + Manbo / Deisui Sisters Orchestra (Dead-Drunk Sisters Band) / Suga-bu [metro+] Michiyo Iwamoto / siv hav / Haidon / B.child / Utagane / Hakuryu / Acappella Group A(c) / Sunset Cocktail / Alegria / Samurai Quartet / Mr-Plumber [Minae-n Town] Amaranth / Southern Blood / WABISABI BOYS / can D alfa / MEG / The Nacometers / Super Ragtags / Takuya Hirai TRIO / Time flies / Kana Nishimura / Kongyoku 2nd / RY-U-SA ft. MasaLee / Morunekko / psk junkeys / Eggman / E.Hearts / MY HEART / Chelsea / Ukulele Toshi P / Narukan / Sarappy / Red Brothers / Rukka no Ashi / Hibino Tsuji / Getsudai / Yukino Tsuzuki / Mii & Naoto Kunieda / Kobe Sisters / Tsutomu Jii (Osamai?) / BtoC feat. Atsushi Kubota / Lele Enka Aichan / Esperanza / Pull-top Oyaji BAND / curious / The Firo [aiai] Lateefa / Kenichi Maezawa / toyo and Marco Pagot / Amashin / DEAR+BLUE Kaoru / Hagure Bossa / FUN JOVI [Marushin Market] SPICA / Large (L’arge) / SLOWHAND / Ako★Tora Tsuyoshi / YUKI & MAI / Mee Mee [Minatogawa Tunnel] Sho Fukute with Popurin / Yuko Kawashima / 461 Mont Blanc / amapola / Supreme Choux Creams / Ristorante♪Furukawa [5/10] [Main Stage] Toyonaka Dixieland Jazz Parade / The Jumble Jungle Big Band / Dirty & Poor / Kemono-ga-hara / Merci / Osaka University The New Wave Jazz Orchestra / Orange martini / Pink Ruby / Biso Yoshimura & BSB / jewel69s / Shun Kikuta Special Band / Mayo Katano / Yokoo BB [Minatogawa Hall] asano raincoat / Funky Workshop / xilinx. / Symmetric / SANA BEATS MONDAY MORNING / gvhpp project / Canary of 100 Bars / Hanis-Anika / Spacility / PINKY & COLORS / RUDE STOMPERS [Square] SHOW-LOWs / Suika (Iki-ka) / Sea Monkey / Keiko Kanda / Kisetsu*FU / THE CABE$ / Yui / MEI Club / Shinnosuke Kamikawa / Utatane Quartet / Haji & Tooru’s Blues / fruFRU acoustic band [Art Plaza] GLASS HAT / SENtoROI / Shibusawa Merumo / GYPSY VAGABONZ / Manma G / Routine / Hanjuku BLOOD / Bantan Brothers / Poet Manjiro with Nori / ERiKA⁺ / Sanshain / Kukuru [BIGMAN] Minato Winds / Naniwa Elephant & Tiger / Smiles Brass Ensemble / Soul of Surprise / Osaka Chaka Khan Selection / @tempo / Funkyou! Department Store / With Wish / Annamed JAZZ Orchestra / First Kiss / Andy & his FireCrackers / Sabomyur~u [metro+] Ramen Baba / Yuya Asanari / Chant Chant / KONISHIMIZU / Usagiya / Whistle jam / flapmole / Curious & Capricious / Swing Set / FAITH BAND [Minae-n Town] The Short Breads / Carpaccios / BAU▲CLUB / Spy no Jaiko / TAKUMA with TEN-4 / Ju-ice / YAMADA BAND / Trinity / Ashigaru Youth / Naoko / Koh / Miyu-Do-Ra-Sawa / soranaka kibunn / Tattocom / Bito Yuri / SUPYPOD / Kaika Gakuon-za / Yankurunaisa / Bombe Hiroshi / THE Double Punch / Injera / KishiTomo / Mikeneko Meiju / Jecco. / Trip Harmony / ESPOIR / Keiko Fuji Legend Triad / Elepin / Motomachi Romance / Soleil / Ai @ Vanilla Ice / AiSeiKen / Yuki / Miyukito / DEJAVU [aiai] Miho Nagae / Nanosh / ORI×AI / Mille-feuille / Pino / Erika Fujii & Akitomo Araki / Superfunny [Higashiyama Shopping Street] JAZZ Session [Marushin Market] CP Girls / Uta-ne Biyori / StrawberryMoon / Shinya Onishi / Sanpogatera / Takai-chan |
| Website | https://ongakusai.shinkaichi.or.jp/ |
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Inzai Machinaka Music FestivalSunday, 5/10, Chiba Prefecture
The Inzai Machinaka Music Festival is a community-driven music event held across 12 venues—including shopping malls and parks—around Inzai-Makinohara Station in Inzai City, Chiba Prefecture. Launched in 2022, it celebrates its fifth edition in 2026. Under the banner “Let’s sow the seeds of music together!”, a wide range of genres—folk, rock, Japanese taiko drumming, choral music, gospel, and even piano recitals—resonate throughout the city. It’s a locally rooted day where amateurs and professionals gather without barriers.
| Schedule | Sunday, May 10, 2026 |
| place | Around Inzai-Makinohara Station, Inzai City, Chiba Prefecture (Makinohara MORE / BIGHOP Garden Mall Inzai / Kusabuka Park / Fureai Culture Hall) |
| Appearance | [5/10] [Water Plaza] Arinz♬ / Music Adventure / Sana / Nada Kazuhiro / Strings21 / Honotowari TorViolins / SORA / Konpeitō |
| Website | https://inzaiparque.com/machinakamusic2022/ |
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Chilly spring. Pre. Spring Grand Liberation FestivalSun, 5/10 – Kanagawa Prefecture
This is a self-produced festival hosted by the girls’ loud rock band Hanabie. It began as a live show celebrating the members’ high school graduation in 2018 and has grown in scale each year, becoming a regular annual event. Set at KT Zepp Yokohama, the day will be packed with heat and energy as domestic acts like JasonAndrew and KALASiM join Australia’s STAND ATLANTIC to “liberate” the audience with thunderous, loud sound. Scheduled for May 2026.
| Schedule | Sunday, May 10, 2026 |
| place | KT Zepp Yokohama, 4-3-6 Minatomirai, Nishi Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture |
| Appearance | [5/10] Cold spring. / JasonAndrew / KALA / SiM / STAND ATLANTIC / AREINT |
| Website | https://hanabie.jp/live/in.html?liveid=54737 |
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