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List of Rock Festivals Nationwide [2026]

In this article, we’ll focus on rock festivals among the many music festivals held across Japan.

Did you know that thrilling stages take place all year round, regardless of the season? From massive festivals that Japanese rock fans can’t get enough of to cozy, community-based events, the variety is truly wide-ranging.

We’ve clearly compiled event information to make it easier to find the rock festivals that catch your eye.

Be sure to look for the next festival you want to attend!

Hyogo Prefecture

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.

ScheduleSat–Sun, May 9–10, 2026
placeHyogo 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
Websitehttps://ongakusai.shinkaichi.or.jp/
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COMING KOBESun, May 10 – Hyogo Prefecture

COMING KOBE is a free-admission charity festival that conveys the legacy of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and promotes disaster preparedness through music. Set in Kobe’s Meriken Park under the theme “A token of gratitude from Kobe,” high-energy, rock-centered performances will resonate through the port city. Longtime regulars with Kansai ties such as ROTTENGRAFFTY, SHAKALABBITS, and KNOCK OUT MONKEY will appear, as the festival marks 31 years since the earthquake with its May 2026 edition.

ScheduleSunday, May 10, 2026
placeMeriken Park, 2-2 Hatobacho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture
Websitehttp://comingkobe.com
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LOVERS FESTIVALSunday, 6/7, Hyogo Prefecture

“LOVERS FESTIVAL” is an outdoor music festival organized by the live music venue KOBE BLUEPORT, located a 3-minute walk from Kobe Sannomiya Station. Embracing the concept of “a festival created solely by Kobe bands,” it uniquely positions not only the performing artists but also the photographers and food vendors as part of the performers. The 2026 edition marks the first in two years and will be held on June 7 at TOTTEI PARK in Kobe.

ScheduleSunday, June 7, 2026
placeTOTTEI PARK, 2-1 Shinkocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture
Appearance
bacho / The beep beep beep / Brave Back / Exes on TV / FAKE DUB BAND / IQ20 / Muddy Jackets / KNOCK OUT MONKEY / OVERHEAD / Pale Moon / POWERBOY / THE REX / schizophragm / Gagaga SP / High-Grade Beemans / accel / G.R.E.S. Academicos do Feijao Preto / ITO→Fun / Ayu Osaki / Anmi (AND YOU) / Kohei Okutani / Hell / Tomoya Taiji (pulse) / Ryuji Terayama / Ayumi Fujisawa / Minatomachi Yoneda / Akira Yamamoto (iTuca)
Websitehttp://www.blue-port.jp/main/kobe-blueport%e4%b8%bb%e5%82%ac%e9%87%8e%e5%a4%96%e3%83%95%e3%82%a7%e3%82%b9lovers-festival-2026-%e7%ac%ac1%e6%ae%b5%e3%82%a2%e3%83%bc%e3%83%86%e3%82%a3%e3%82%b9%e3%83%88%e8%a7%a3%e7%a6%81/

Talking Rock! FES. KobeHyogo Prefecture, Sat. 8/8 – Sun. 8/9

The 2026 edition of Talking Rock! FES., organized by the music magazine Talking Rock!, will, for the first time, be held in both eastern and western Japan to commemorate the magazine’s 30th anniversary. The Kobe edition will take place on a single stage at Kobe World Kinen Hall in Chuo Ward, Kobe. A lineup of familiar Japanese rock acts from the magazine’s pages—such as go!go!vanillas, Harukamirai, and KANA-BOON—will appear. The Kobe edition will be held over two days, August 8 and 9, 2026.

ScheduleSat–Sun, Aug 8–9, 2026
placeKobe World Memorial Hall, 6-12-2 Minatojima-Nakamachi, Chuo Ward, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture
Appearance
[8/8] go!go!vanillas / Harukamirai / Hump Back / FOMARE [8/9] KANA-BOON / Frederic / Yabai T-Shirts Yasan
Websitehttps://talkingrockfes.com/2026/
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Shiga Prefecture

K-On Street LiveSaturday, May 2, Shiga Prefecture

This is a student-led street live performance where high school light music clubs from across Shiga Prefecture gather at Otsu Station Front Park to showcase the results of their daily practice in the station-front space. Organized by the Keion Street LIVE Executive Committee and co-hosted by the Shiga Prefecture High School Cultural Federation Light Music Division, the event has continued in collaboration with Machizukuri Otsu. This time, as Vol. 18, a live performance of the Inter-High support song is also planned. Scheduled for May 2026, it offers a close-up chance to enjoy the regionally rooted high school band culture.

ScheduleSaturday, May 2, 2026
placeOtsu Ekimae Park, Kasuga-cho, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture
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Save The BirthdayShiga Prefecture on Sunday, 9/6

ScheduleSunday, September 6, 2026
placeKojinyama Park Multipurpose Ground, 4769 Hinatsucho, Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture
Websitehttps://savethebirthday.com/
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FEST. INAZUMA 2026Shiga Prefecture, Sat 9/19–Mon 9/21

ScheduleSat–Mon, Sep 19–21, 2026
placeShiga Prefecture, Kusatsu City, Shimomono-cho, Karasuma Peninsula Lawn Plaza
Websitehttps://fest-inazuma.com/
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