July Music Festivals [2025–2026]: A roundup of summer festivals, outdoor rock festivals, and other music events

Muni Fest is a free outdoor rock event held under the slogan “Street performances for rock bands too!” Its appeal lies in the chance to casually enjoy high-quality indie rock bands that you rarely get to see outside of live houses. Be the first to witness the dawn of Japan’s music scene with your own eyes.

This is an outdoor hip-hop festival held at Sora no Hiroba in Maishima Sports Island, Osaka. The event has previously featured up-and-coming rappers who are gaining attention worldwide. Amid the challenge of holding the festival safely during the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, it will be conducted with attendance limited to one-third of the venue’s capacity, alongside simultaneous online live streaming. Why not join in from home and discover a new way to enjoy 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?

HOTHOTGUMBO ’92 was held in 1992. A single truck started at Shijō-Karasuma and slowly made its way to Kyoto University’s West Auditorium, performing live as it went. Inspired by that incredible event, HOT MOTTO GUMBO began in Osaka in 2013 and finally returned to Kyoto University’s West Auditorium in 2017. It’s a highly captivating event that feels packed with the culture of the time.