Fireworks are an essential Japanese summer tradition, with pyrotechnic festivals held across the country from July to September. Among them, the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival in Niigata prefecture is considered one of Japan’s top three. It’s renowned not only for launching some of the largest shells and fireworks, but also for its grand finale, which spans an impressive two kilometres along the riverbank, making it one of the widest fireworks displays in the world.
Now held annually on August 2 and 3, this roughly two-hour-long spectacle was first launched in 1946 to commemorate the lives lost in the World War II air raids the previous year.
The festival’s signature five-minute-long Reconstruction Phoenix Fireworks, synchronised with Ayaka Hirahara’s song ‘Jupiter’, were introduced in 2005 and have since become an annual highlight. Serving as the emotional centrepiece of the event, the segment was created as a symbol of recovery for the Chuetsu area following the devastating 2004 Niigata Earthquake.
Nagaoka is an immensely meaningful and symbolic fireworks display, and this year more so than ever – 2025 marks both the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and the 20th anniversary of the Reconstruction Phoenix Fireworks. With this in mind, the festival is expected to draw particularly large crowds.
Attending in person requires careful planning. While there are both paid and free seating areas, the free spots are often claimed very early. So, to allow more people to experience and share in the significance of the event, the organisers are also hosting a live broadcast in cinemas across Japan.
In Tokyo, you can catch the live screening of the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival at Shinjuku Piccadilly, Aeon Cinema Itabashi, Aeon Cinema Tama Center, Aeon Cinema Musashi Murayama and Aeon Cinema Hinode. In Osaka, Movix Sakai and Aeon Cinema Shijonawate will be participating in the event.
Tickets are priced at ¥3,000 for general admission and ¥1,500 for high school students and younger children. The pre-reservation lottery is ongoing until July 21, with general sales commencing later from July 26 to July 31 – all online via Ticket Pia. Any remaining tickets will be sold at the respective cinemas starting August 2.
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