Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka with fireworks — Photo: Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau | Tenjin Matsuri in Osaka

Photo: Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau

The best things to do in Osaka in July 2026

Get ready for an exciting summer in Osaka this July with these fantastic events, festivals, art exhibitions and markets

Monday 13 July 2026

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Edited by Lim Chee Wah

Contributing Editor, Time Out Osaka

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We’ve entered the second half of 2026, which means summer has officially started. While the heat and humidity of summer can be punishing, this season is also one of the liveliest times to be in Japan – especially Osaka.

From July onwards, the city comes alive with a host of boisterous summer festivals, street parades and jaw-dropping fireworks lighting up the night sky. If you only do one thing this month, make sure it’s the Tenjin Matsuri. Widely considered one of Japan’s three great festivals, this massive two-day celebration culminates with a spectacular riverside fireworks display on Saturday July 25.

The secret to enjoying – and surviving – summer in Osaka is to hydrate often and stay out of the midday sun. Then, head out in the late afternoon just before the sun sets and partake in the evening celebrations. For the most amazing time in the city, peruse our curated list of the best events, festivals and things to do in Osaka this July, from must-see traditional matsuri to intriguing art exhibitions and lip-smacking food promotions.

Looking to explore Osaka's vibrant food scene? Here are the city's best takoyaki, ramen and spice curry

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Art shows and exhibitions

Jeff Koons: Paintings and Banality – Selected Works from the Collection

Art
Contemporary art
Until 18 Oct 2026

Jeff Koons occupies a singular position in contemporary art. Known for his polished surfaces, bold iconography and unapologetic embrace of popular imagery, the American artist has continually blurred the boundaries between high culture and mass consumption. By elevating everyday objects – vacuum cleaners, basketballs, cartoon figures – into the realm of fine art, Koons interrogates value, desire and collective memory. Held in major museum collections worldwide, his works function as both mirrors and provocations, reflecting the aspirations and contradictions of contemporary society.

This exhibition at Espace Louis Vuitton Osaka is organised as part of the Fondation Louis Vuitton’s ‘Hors-les-murs’ program and brings together seven significant sculptures and paintings drawn from the foundation’s collection, tracing the evolution of Koons’s practice from the 1980s onward...

Art
Until 3 Nov 2026

Toward the 50th Anniversary Collection 1: Self/Action

Kazuo Shiraga, Tenseisei Hyoshito (Leopard Head), 1959. Collection of the National Museum of Art, Osaka

The National Museum of Art, Osaka is dedicated to collecting and exhibiting Japanese and international works produced in the modern age, largely from 1945 to the present day. However, there are also a number of pieces that date further back.

As the museum gears up to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2027, this commemorative exhibition will re-examine its vast collection to piece together a narrative of the history and development of art. The main focus is to look at the social and historical contexts in the years leading up to the museum’s opening in 1977, and how they shaped the art of that time.

This 50th anniversary exhibition is split into two parts. The first, running from July 19 to November 3, gathers around 140 works by more than 80 artists. The oldest piece in the museum’s collection, the Post-Impressionist ‘Preparation for a Banquet’ by Paul Cézanne from the 1890s, serves as the starting point. With the curation’s chronological flow through to the mid-1960s, visitors can simultaneously learn about the different artistic movements during that time period...

‘R’ Riverside Grill & Beer Garden

Until 25 Dec 2026

Photo: Nakanoshima Beer Gardens

Summers are for grilling up meals around the barbecue and beating the heat with icy cold beers, and the ‘R’ Riverside Grill & Beer Garden at Nakanoshima Park is one of the best spots in Osaka to do just that. Open throughout summer and all the way to December 25, it offers 120-minute seatings that come with an all-you-can-drink deal featuring an extensive line-up of alcohol and soft drinks, plus a choice of three multicourse menus.

The Casual BBQ Course (¥4,500) highlights wagyu beef, pork chops in a lemon marinade and jerk chicken, while the Standard BBQ Course (¥5,500) gets you all of the above plus an additional plate of Indonesian-style lamb skewers and an assorted seafood platter. For the full monty, choose the Premium Course (¥6,500), which includes everything in the Casual and Standard offerings, an additional platter of Japanese Black wagyu steak, and a cut of tuna cheek.

All three ‘courses’ also include assorted vegetables, shrimp crackers, Javanese chilli fries and spicy fried noodles. Lunchtime deals featuring the Casual BBQ Course are available on weekends and public holidays...

Shitennoji Sunday Market

Things to do
Markets and fairs
Until 6 Dec 2026

Photo by Tom Chen via Unsplash

Shitennoji Temple hosts a bi-monthly weekend market on the first Sunday of the month, from 9am to 3pm, rain or shine. Held at the temple’s Nishiju Gate square, the market features vendors selling handmade crafts, secondhand goods, fresh produce and food products like honey from local beekeepers.

Cafés are also often part of the scene, dealing in freshly brewed coffee, beans and a variety of baked goods, while food trucks offer opportunities for a hot picnic meal...

Things to do
Markets and fairs
Until 16 Oct 2026

Photo: Pixta

Hidden among the high-rises of Umeda, Tsuyutenjin Shrine – affectionately known as Ohatsu Tenjin – hosts one of Osaka’s most charming flea markets on the first and third Friday of every month.

The market is modest in size, but its convenient location makes it a must-visit for treasure hunters looking for something a bit more down-to-earth compared to the commercial bustle of central Osaka. On any given week there can be between 10 to 20 vendors set up beneath the shrine’s stone lanterns, offering a mix of antiques, pottery, retro and Showa-era goods.

The atmosphere is quietly magical. The 1,300-year-old shrine, dedicated to the deities of love and good fortune...

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Kamitsu Shrine Juso Market

Things to do
Markets and fairs
Until 13 Dec 2026

Photo: Pixta

Held on the 13th of every month, this local market brings new energy to the peaceful grounds of Kamitsu Shrine, a small but charming sanctuary tucked away at the end of the Juso shopping street. Among the trees and smaller shrines, visitors can browse stalls selling fresh produce, flowers, handmade crafts and antiques, while enjoying the relaxed, community feel that makes this event a local favourite.

The shrine itself is dedicated to deities associated with family well-being, business success and good fortune...

Things to do
Markets and fairs
Until 1 Nov 2026

Seseragi Marche in Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park

Every Sunday, the central boulevard of Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park hosts Seseragi Marche, a relaxed, family-friendly market surrounded by the greenery of one of Osaka’s most beloved urban parks. From 9am to 4pm, visitors can browse a rotating line-up of local vendors offering everything from fresh seasonal produce and handmade crafts to hot meals and sweet treats from colourful food trucks.

The stalls change weekly, so there’s always something new to discover. But expect to find anything from fragrant karaage, tacos and even pizza alongside crêpes and baked goods. When the weather is good, the atmosphere feels more like a picnic than a market...

Been there, done that? Think again, my friend.

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The best things to do in Osaka in July 2026

Art shows and exhibitions

Jeff Koons: Paintings and Banality – Selected Works from the Collection

Toward the 50th Anniversary Collection 1: Self/Action

Food and drink events and promotions

‘R’ Riverside Grill & Beer Garden

Markets

Shitennoji Sunday Market

Ohatsu Tenjin Flea Market

Kamitsu Shrine Juso Market

Seseragi Marche in Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park