Summer may be all but over, but music festival season is still going strong. As it should be: with the heat subsiding, early autumn is an excellent time to spend a weekend singing and dancing under the open sky.
These five fantastic fests are all easy to reach from Tokyo and offer both great music and a memorable setting. So choose your favourite, book your tickets and get your festival fit ready – the next few months offer plenty of reason to party.
One of the largest dance music events in the world is coming back to Tokyo in September. Ultra Japan takes place across three stages, each with its own theme, and once again welcomes a stellar array of artists – from progressive house president Alesso to Japan’s own superstar Yousuke Yukimatsu, plus Zedd and Knock2 performing a B2B set. Expect world-class convenience, too: the Odaiba venue is only 15 minutes from Shibuya.
Sep 19-20
Ringo Fes returns to the castle town of Matsumoto with a line-up spanning genres and generations, with Alps Park set to welcome everyone from DJ, producer and Tokyo scene veteran Shinichi Osawa to the unforgettably named psych-rock band Ogre You Asshole and Aoi Tuki, a duo consisting of performing artists Aoi Yamada and Tuki Takamura. The concurrent Matsumoto Curry Jamboree brings together popular eateries from throughout the area and farther afield.
Sep 26-27
Hotel Izukyu on the gorgeous Shirahama Beach down in Izu serves as the venue for a laidback weekend bash welcoming skateboarding legend and guitar hero Tommy Guerrero; London-based DJ-producer Mia Koden; Suzanne Kraft, whose music spans from mellow electronic sounds to indie pop; and a strong line-up of Japan-based artists.
Sep 26-27
A festival built for those who really want to listen, not just be seen, Each Story unfolds in the forests of Nobeyama, some 1,350 metres above sea level. Leave the mundane behind and immerse yourself in ambitious tunes by the likes of long-time Ryuichi Sakamoto collaborator Fennesz and the trio of Spanish experimental master Suso Saiz, Tomo Katsurada of psych-rock outfit Kikagaku Moyo and ambient virtuoso Jonny Nash, who’ll be teaming up for an extra special collab.
Oct 3-4
The 2026 edition of this willfully, brilliantly uncommercial crowd-pleaser features a cast of familiar Frue faces, from German dance innovator Acid Pauli and Argentine singer-songwriter Juana Molina to the Master Musicians of Joujouka, the Moroccan mega-ensemble sometimes considered the world’s oldest musical group. Whether you’re into jazz, rock, techno or something in between, there will be something to get your juices flowing here.
Oct 31-Nov 1
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