Kansai Music Festivals [2025–2026]: Special Feature on Must-See Outdoor Fests & Events

One of the largest joint university events in the Kansai region, bringing together light music clubs from across Kansai! It’s an incredibly exciting festival featuring not only original and cover bands, but also bands from the same generation and hot, fast-rising artists invited as special guests!

A flagship Japanese music festival that has been held since 2000. It features many renowned artists from both Japan and overseas and is an event that draws attention from around the world. A distinctive feature of Summer Sonic is that it’s an urban, touring-style festival. In addition to easy access, the lineups for the Tokyo and Osaka venues swap over the two days. So whichever venue you attend, if you go both days, you can see all the headliners.

It’s an event overflowing with love for Shigaraki, designed to help more people discover it. This is a completely free-admission festival. A wide variety of people with ties to Shiga—including artists, performers, and vendors—will be appearing. Since admission is free, why not take this opportunity to visit Shigaraki at least once?

This is an outdoor festival hosted by THE SKIPPERS, a three-piece rock band from Osaka. Its appeal lies in a wide-ranging lineup, from their longtime allies to up-and-coming young bands with strong momentum. The event began in 2017 to mark their 15th anniversary.