February Music Festivals [2025–2026]: A roundup of winter festivals, outdoor rock fests, and other music events

This festival started in 2010 as BLARE DOWN BARRIERS, a live event hosted by coldrain, and from 2020—its 10th year—it has been held as BLARE FEST. With a stellar lineup that festival lovers won’t be able to resist, a sellout seems inevitable. We recommend checking ticket information early. It’s the kind of festival where you’ll want to catch every second across all three stages, so if you’re coming from out of town, plan to stay overnight and make the most of it.

Launched in 2007 under the concept that every form of expression—music, film, painting, and words—serves as our modern-day asylum (a temporary refuge), this event also embodies the desire to foster cultural and personal exchange and to enliven the Sakurazaka area. The venues are spread across 20 locations around Sakurazaka, with some offering free admission.

MemeFes is a circuit-style music event hosted by the band Memeta. The great thing about circuit events is that, beyond seeing your favorite bands, you can discover new artists, visit a variety of live venues, and enjoy new connections among fans. With that wish in mind, the lineup of artists gathered is something to look forward to. Big venues are impressive and powerful, but we also recommend the unique closeness between artists and audiences that only live houses can offer. Throughout the event, messages from fans easily reach the artists, making for performances with a strong sense of unity.

As a spin-off of hoshioto, which is held annually in Okayama Prefecture, this event is titled machioto because, unlike hoshioto—which takes place at a campground under starry skies—it is held in live music venues in the city. It’s a circuit-style event that takes place across several live houses in Okayama City. Why not come and discover some new music?