Kyoto Music Festivals [2025–2026]: Outdoor Festivals and Events Summary

Nanoboro Festa is a circuit-style festival held in Kyoto City. Compared to the star-studded lineup, the venues aren’t that large, so the uniquely frenzied atmosphere of the packed stages is addictive once you experience it. It’s also characterized by each performing artist having their own distinct worldview.

This is a music event produced by drummer and music producer Gota Yashiki and his wife, Tomomi Yashiki. As a new kind of festival that fuses Japanese traditional performing arts with rock, it offers experiences you can only have here. Even just the artist performances feature a star-studded lineup that fans will find irresistible, and the band members are legendary musicians active nationwide, all gathered together. With a variety of productions—including songs and dances by Kyoto’s geisha unique to the region—you can enjoy the finest in Japanese entertainment, all packed into this stage. Every part of it is unmissable.

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.

It’s a summer festival hosted by 10-FEET, a three-piece rock band from Kyoto. It began in 2007, but the inaugural event had to be canceled due to a typhoon. However, there’s a saying that festivals canceled by a typhoon in their first year go on to become beloved and popular events… True to that saying, this festival has seen various legends unfold every year—perhaps thanks to the mysterious power of the organizers, the three members of 10-FEET, and all the attendees. The overall atmosphere is known for being warm and friendly among both performers and visitors. It’s an essential event that marks the start of summer in Kyoto.