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Off the coast of Niigata lies Sado Island, one of the best off-the-beaten-path destinations in Japan. The island is locally famous for its distinctive taraibune tub boats, dramatic coastlines and its annual festival, Earth Celebration. Held every summer, Earth Celebration is a taiko drumming music festival that attracts domestic and international tourists to the island. Although Covid-19 has cancelled festivals throughout Tokyo and Japan, Earth Celebration has decided to take a different approach, streaming the festival online for everyone to watch.
Hosted by the taiko group Kodo, the two-day online festival will feature taiko drumming performances highlighting Sado Island’s distinctive culture. The first show will take place on August 21 at 4pm JST and will begin with a pre-concert talk and introduction to Earth Celebration and Kodo's activities. The Harbour Concert will then start at 5pm followed up by a post-concert interview with three taiko drumming stars.
The second concert will take place on August 22 at 4pm JST and will also begin with a pre-concert talk before the Kodo all-star special performance. The concert will be followed up by more interviews as well as a pre-recorded farewell video.
Live-stream tickets are ¥2,500 for one concert, but you can also purchase a ticket for both concerts for ¥4,000. If you miss the performance, don't worry. The archived recordings will be available immediately after the live-stream shows. To purchase your tickets, visit here.
To get you into the festive spirit, you can also watch last year's all star finale performance for free in the video above.
The festival runs from Saturday August 21 to Sunday August 22. For more information on Earth Celebration, visit the website and YouTube channel.
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