List of domestic circuit events [2025–2026]: City festivals

Mihoudai, the large circuit festival held every year across multiple live venues around Osaka’s Amerikamura, will be back this year. The lineup is carefully selected by the Mihoudai staff from bands they’ve seen live over the past year, so you can catch a slew of artists who are really on the rise. Looks like we can expect plenty of wonderful bands again this year, don’t you think?

This is a music event organized by the female-vocal band IRabBits, bringing together girl bands. It was held from 2009 to 2014, and will be revived in 2023. With more artists now active in girl bands than before, it’s rare to get a chance to see so many high-energy bands all at once. There will also be collaboration projects with female idol groups, so it’s shaping up to be a hot event. I’m excited to see what kind of performances they’ll deliver.

Yatsui Ichirō of the comedy duo Eleki Comic is also known for his work as a rock DJ, actively engaging in the music industry by releasing compilation albums and more. This is an event he hosts. Rather than being a club music event, it’s a crossover-style event that incorporates a wide range of music.

MiMiNOKO ROCK FES JAPAN is a circuit event that takes place across multiple live venues in Kichijoji. The lineup focuses on next-break artists whose popularity is on the verge of exploding. It’s a can’t-miss event for anyone tuned into Japan’s indie and rock scenes!

SAKAE SP-RING, known as Saka-Sup, is a large-scale circuit festival held every year mainly at live music venues in Nagoya. It has become a staple early-summer event in Nagoya. For bands active in the indie rock scene, it serves as a gateway-style circuit festival.

This event has been held since 2007 as a continuation of a jazz event that ran for 30 years until 2003. It has grown larger each year, bringing together over 30 groups and more than 300 performers, and with an expected audience of 3,000, it’s said to be the largest ever. The venue, Madarao Kogen, is a ski resort set in great natural surroundings. It sounds like a day where you can feel truly refreshed.