A Give-Back-to-the-Community Festival: The Appeal of Inazuma Rock Fes
Do you know about Inazuma Rock Fes?
It’s a large outdoor rock festival held every year in Shiga Prefecture, and it’s organized by a super famous artist.
Some people who aren’t very familiar with the festival might be surprised when they hear who the organizer is.
So this time, I’d like to take a closer look at the appeal of Inazuma Rock Fes.
What is Inazuma Rock Fes?
http://inazumarock
com/2017
Overview
First of all, I would like to share an overview of the Inazuma Rock Fes.
Inazuma Rock Fes is an outdoor festival held over two days in Shiga Prefecture every year since 2009.
The venue is the lawn park on Karasuma Peninsula in Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture. It overlooks Lake Biwa, offering an outstanding location.
It’s said that the name Inazuma was given because the kanji for “Shiga” (滋) looks like a lightning bolt symbol.
Organizer
Now that I’ve given a brief introduction to Inazuma Rock Fes, let me go ahead and introduce the event’s organizers.
Many of you may already know this, but T.
M.
It’s organized by Takanori Nishikawa, who’s active as Revolution.
Embarrassingly, I didn’t know until a few years ago. lol
Mr. Nishikawa is from Shiga Prefecture and has also served as the first Shiga Hometown Tourism Ambassador.
This Inazuma Rock Fes is what Mr. Nishikawa started because he wanted to give back to his hometown through music.
Of course, Nishikawa will appear on both days.
youtube.
com/watch?v=vBmU5v2EyxM
T.
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When it comes to Revolution, HOT LIMIT is the obvious pick, but I think we might be able to hear this song as well.
The appeal of Inazuma Rock Fes
Now that we’ve covered the event overview and introduced the organizer, Mr. Nishikawa, I’d like to share what makes Inazuma Rock Fes so appealing.
Giving back to the local community in both paid and free areas
At Inazuma Rock Fes, there are two areas: a paid area and a free area. The free area can be enjoyed even by those without tickets.
Only the Raijin Stage, which is the main stage, is a paid area requiring a ticket; all other areas are free and can be enjoyed without a ticket.
Within the free area, there is the Fujin Stage featuring up-and-coming young artists expected to be the next big break, the Ryujin Stage showcasing Shiga Prefecture’s local mascots and more, a merchandise section, a local gourmet section, the “Oide~na Shiga Experience Fair” highlighting Shiga’s appeal, and a kids’ area.
Perhaps these are driven by Mr. Nishikawa’s desire to give back to his hometown through music.
At Inazuma Rock Fes, a total of 100,000 people attended over two days across both the paid and free areas, and it seems the economic impact is actually very significant.
Through music, Inazuma Rock Fes is truly giving back to the local community, and you could say it has two sides: a large-scale outdoor music festival and a local traditional festival.
Inazuma Gate: a direct-to-major-debut audition
At Inazuma Rock Fes, an audition linked to the event, called Inazuma Gate, is held.
The artist who wins the Grand Prix will earn the right to perform at Inazuma Rock Fes and a chance to debut with a major label.
Performing at a large outdoor festival or making a major-label debut is a dream that all young artists envision, so being given such opportunities is truly inspiring and exciting, isn’t it?
From the audience’s perspective, it would be a very exciting event, as they can be among the first to see live performances by the next breakout artists, wouldn’t you agree?
Premium Ticket 'Inazuma Premium'
At Inazuma Rock Fes, a premium ticket called Inazuma Premium is available.
Only those who have purchased Inazuma Premium can enjoy the live show from the special standing area set up at the very front of the main stage and from the special seating area located on the front downstage-left side.
You can enjoy Inazuma Rock Fes smoothly, with benefits like entering quickly through a dedicated entrance and getting priority access to purchase official merchandise.
You can also use the official bar and the dedicated cloakroom, so you can truly enjoy two days with a VIP feel—highly recommended.
Event Overview
Inazuma Rock Fes, Sat–Mon, September 19–21, 2026
Inazuma Rock, an outdoor rock festival with an uncompromising focus on Shiga Prefecture, organized by Takanori Nishikawa—who hails from Shiga and serves as a Shiga Hometown Tourism Ambassador—has been confirmed for this year as well. Held in an unbeatable setting by Lake Biwa and Mount Hiei, the event mainly features artists connected to Shiga or who have ties with Nishikawa. Part of the venue offers free admission, and there’s even a stage within the free area where you can enjoy live performances! Nishikawa is also known for his engaging talk segments, so it’ll be exciting to see how he fires up the crowd.
| Name | Inazuma Rock Fes |
| Schedule | Sat–Mon, Sep 19–21, 2026 |
| place | Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture, Karasuma Peninsula Lawn Field |
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In conclusion
Did the appeal of Inazuma Rock Fes come across?
Above all, the main theme is giving back to the local community. By setting up a free area, the event becomes something that even more people can enjoy, which is its greatest feature and appeal.
Furthermore, the main stage will feature a wide range of performers—not only bands and famous singers, but also idols and comedians—so the lineup is designed to be enjoyable for many people.
Also, for those who attended Inazuma Rock Fes, the local gourmet foods in the free area and the “Oide~na Shiga” booth are must-see highlights.
Well then, everyone, how about taking part in Inazuma Rock Fes, a festival with two sides: a major outdoor music fest and a local community celebration?