Visiting Hokkaido this summer? Don’t miss the festivals!
I know it’s not easy for international travelers to find up-to-date information on local events in Japan. So I put together this summer festival list for you, based on official Japanese sources!
Hi, I’m Yuuka. I’m from Hokkaido and have helped hundreds of travelers plan their perfect trips.
Growing up in Hokkaido, I looked forward to summer festivals every year. Fireworks, food stalls, dance performances… And it’s a celebration of our community and culture. I want you to experience that too!
In this guide, you’ll find 23 festivals with:
Dates & locations
Event highlights
Festival scale (big and crowded, or small and local?)
Let’s find one that fits your trip!
This post contains affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission to enjoy a cup of coffee on my trip☕
Hokkaido Summer Festival Dates for 2025
- May 14–25: Sapporo Lilac Festival
- May 10–18: Sakura & Oyster Festival, Akkeshi
- May 17–25: Canola Flower Festival, Takikawa
- June 4–8: YOSAKOI Soran Festival, Sapporo
- June 14–16: Hokkaido Shrine Festival, Sapporo
- July 5: Lake Shikotsu Water Festival
- July 12: Nakafurano Lavender Festival & Fireworks
- July 12: Makomanai Fireworks Festival
- July 18–19: Shiretoko Summer Festival
- July 18 – August 16: Sapporo Summer Festival
- July 19–20: Nemuro Port Festival
- July 25–27: Otaru Ushio Festival
- July 25–27: Monbetsu Port Festival
- Late July: Toyohira River Fireworks Festival, Sapporo
- July 31 – August 2: Asahikawa Summer Festival
- August 1–3: Kushiro Port Festival
- August 1–3: Tomakomai Port Festival
- August 1–5: Hakodate Port Festival
- August 7–9: Susukino Festival
- August 16: Kushiro Shinbun Fireworks Festival
- August 30–31: Noboribetsu Jigoku Festival
- August 30–31: Nemuro Crab Festival
- August 30–31: Horokanai Soba Festival
Sapporo Lilac Festival
Dates: May 14–25, 2025
Location: Odori Park, Sapporo
Highlights: Music performances, a wine garden, stamp rally, and more in the heart of Sapporo with around 400 lilac tress in bloom.
Festival Scale: ★★★★☆ – Large festival, well-attended and lively
Sakura & Oyster Festival, Akkeshi
Dates: May 10–18, 2025
Location: Konohin Park, Akkeshi
Highlights: A spring celebration combining cherry blossoms and Akkeshi’s famous oysters, with seafood stalls, BBQ grill rentals, and oyster-catching events.
Festival Scale: ★★★☆☆ – Mid-size event with many local participants
Canola Flower Festival, Takikawa
Dates: May 17–25, 2025
Location: Roadside Station Takikawa, Takikawa City
Highlights: Fields of bright yellow canola flowers stretch across town during this scenic spring event, with flower-viewing buses, gourmet stalls, and local stage shows.
Festival Scale: ★★★☆☆ – Mid-size event with many local participants
YOSAKOI Soran Festival, Sapporo
Dates: June 4-8, 2025
Location: Odori Park and over 10 stages across Sapporo
Highlights: A vibrant, high-energy dance festival featuring over 270 teams performing to Hokkaido’s folk song, Soran Bushi, in colorful costumes with wooden clappers.
Festival Scale: ★★★★★ – Major, city-wide festival with huge crowds
🏨 Where to stay in Sapporo?
Check out the 8 best Sapporo hotels with convenient locations!
Hokkaido Shrine Festival, Sapporo
Dates: June 14–16, 2025
Location: Hokkaido Shrine and Nakajima Park, Sapporo
Highlights: Also known as the Sapporo Festival, this traditional event features portable shrines and floats parading through the city, along with food stalls and cultural performances.
Festival Scale: ★★★★☆ – Large festival, well-attended and lively
Lake Shikotsu Water Festival
Dates: July 5, 2025
Location: Minamoa Park, Lake Shikotsu Onsen, Chitose
Highlights: Enjoy grilled Shikotsu salmon, acoustic live music, and traditional Ainu dance performances by the Chitose Ainu Culture Preservation Society.
Festival Scale: ★★★☆☆ – Mid-size event with many local participants
Nakafurano Lavender Festival & Fireworks
Dates: July 12, 2025
Location: Hokusei Lavender Field and Nakafurano Flower Park, Nakafurano
Highlights: Vibrant lavender fields by day and a festive fireworks show at night
Festival Scale: ★★★★☆ – Large festival, well-attended and lively
🌻 Going to Furano?
Makomanai Fireworks Festival
Dates: July 12, 2025
Location: Makomanai Sekisui Heim Stadium, Sapporo
Highlights: One of the largest fireworks shows in Hokkaido, featuring around 22,000 fireworks synchronized with music, lights and fire! A ticket is required for reserved seating.
Festival Scale: ★★★★★ – Major festival with huge crowds
Shiretoko Summer Festival
Dates: July 18–19, 2025
Location: Shari Town
Highlights: Streets light up with over a dozen massive neputa floats, including an 8-meter lantern from sister city Hirosaki, bringing a lively vibe of Tohoku tradition to Eastern Hokkaido.
Festival Scale: ★★★☆☆ – Mid-size event with many local participants
🌿 Shiretoko is a perfect summer destination!
Here's my favorite 3-day Shiretoko itinerary for nature lovers!
Sapporo Summer Festival
Dates: July 18 – August 16, 2025
Location: Odori Park, Susukino, Tanukikoji, and other areas in Sapporo
Highlights: Local’s favorite summer tradition featuring beer gardens, bon odori dancing, food stalls, and festive fun across the city for a whole month.
Festival Scale: ★★★★★ – Major, city-wide festival with huge crowds
🍶 Local Izakaya in Sapporo
Want to enjoy the night like a local? Check out this guide to Sapporo's most popular izakaya areas.
Also join Sapporo Bar Hopping Food Tour with MagicalTrip! The friendly and outgoing local guides provides you a small group tour to make your experience much more personal and authentic.
Nemuro Port Festival
Dates: July 19–20, 2025
Location: Special event area at Nemuro Port and multiple spots around the city
Highlights: A lively summer festival celebrating the local fishing culture with the famous “1,000-person dance,” boat races, and a fireworks show on the second night.
Festival Scale: ★★★☆☆ – Mid-size event with many local participants
Otaru Ushio Festival
Dates: July 25–27, 2025
Location: Central Otaru City
Highlights: A three-day celebration of Otaru’s history and culture, featuring a taiko drum kickoff parade, colorful group dances through town, a mikoshi (portable shrine) parade, and a grand fireworks show by the harbor.
Festival Scale: ★★★★★ – Major, city-wide festival with huge crowds
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Monbetsu Port Festival
Dates: July 25–27, 2025
Location: Monbetsu Port
Highlights: A lively portside festival featuring over 100 food stalls and street shops, stage performances, and a fireworks show on July 26, with around 3,500 fireworks.
Festival Scale: ★★★☆☆ – Mid-size event with many local participants
Toyohira River Fireworks Festival, Sapporo
Dates: Late July 2025 (Exact date TBD)
Location: Toyohira River riverbed, between Minami-Ohashi and Horohira-Bashi, Sapporo
Highlights: Around 4,000 fireworks light up the sky over central Sapporo for an hour. Free to watch with no reserved seating, unlike Makomanai Fireworks Festival.
Festival Scale: ★★★★☆ – Large festival, well-attended and lively
Asahikawa Summer Festival
Dates: July 31 – August 2, 2025
Location: Heiwa-dori Shopping Park, Asahibashi riverside, Showa-dori, and surrounding areas
Highlights: One of northern Hokkaido’s biggest summer festivals, featuring a fireworks show, a dance parade with 4,000 locals, powerful taiko performances, mikoshi processions, food stalls, and local gourmet fests.
Festival Scale: ★★★★★ – Major, city-wide festival with huge crowds
🚉 Visiting Asahikawa without a car?
Try this 3-day itinerary by public transportation!
Kushiro Port Festival
Dates: August 1–3, 2025
Location: Central Kushiro and around Kushiro Port
Highlights: Kushiro’s signature summer event, featuring dance parades and music parades, celebrating the city's maritime heritage since 1948.
Festival Scale: ★★★★☆ – Large festival, well-attended and lively
🐟 Going to Kushiro?
Follow this 6-day Eastern Hokkaido itinerary!
Tomakomai Port Festival
Dates: August 1–3, 2025
Location: Chuo Park, Tomakomai
Highlights: A lively summer celebration with beer gardens, comedy and music shows, a citizen dance parade, and a fireworks show over the harbor on the second night.
Festival Scale: ★★★★☆ – Large festival, well-attended and lively
Hakodate Port Festival
Dates: August 1–5, 2025
Location: Various locations in Hakodate City
Highlights: Kicking off with a massive fireworks show, the festival includes the "Wasshoi Hakodate" parade, Hakodate Port dances, and a summer carnival with food stalls and street events.
Festival Scale: ★★★★☆ – Large festival, well-attended and lively
Susukino Festival
Dates: August 7–9, 2025
Location: Susukino area, Sapporo
Highlights: The downtown nightlife district of Sapporo turns into a festival zone with taiko drumming, YOSAKOI dance, and around 80 food stalls run by local restaurants.
Festival Scale: ★★★★☆ – Large festival, well-attended and lively
Kushiro Shinbun Fireworks Festival
Dates: August 16, 2025
Location: Riverside area of the New Kushiro River
Highlights: About 8,000 fireworks, including a 1 km-long Niagara display, musical fireworks, and rapid-fire sequences, light up the river in a six-part show.
Festival Scale: ★★★★★ – Major, city-wide festival with huge crowds
Noboribetsu Jigoku Festival
Dates: August 30–31, 2025
Location: Noboribetsu Onsen area
Highlights: An unique event where Japanese Oni demons parade through the hot spring town alongside the towering 6-meter float, taiko drumming, and hell-themed performances.
Festival Scale: ★★★★☆ – Large festival, well-attended and lively
✨ Traveling to Eastern Hokkaido?
I packed my local tips & hidden gems in this Hokkaido Trip Planner!
Nemuro Crab Festival
Dates: August 30–31, 2025
Location: Special event site at Nemuro Port
Highlights: Fresh crab sales, fast-eating contests, live cooking demos, and local delicacies like boiled Hanasaki crab and crab soup.
Festival Scale: ★★★☆☆ – Mid-size event with many local participants
Horokanai Soba Festival
Dates: August 30–31, 2025
Location: Horokanai Town
Highlights: Japan’s top soba town welcomes 40,000 visitors to enjoy regional soba from across the country, soba-making demos, competitions, and freshly milled local buckwheat noodles.
Festival Scale: ★★★★★ – Major, city-wide festival with huge crowds
🚩Your next steps!
Hope you found the festivals you want to visit! Summer is the best time to enjoy Hokkaido’s wild nature. If you’re wondering where to visit, find your best destinations here.
Have you decided whether to use a rental car or public transportation? If not yet, here’s my guide on how to get around in Hokkaido.
For trip planning, check out my 2-week & 1-week summer itineraries!
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