Winter Music Festivals in Western Japan [2025–2026]

Entertainment might be transformed by the power of young people. Organized by Y-PU ENTERTAINMENT, this is a new kind of festival planned and run mainly by university students. HANGEKI FES is being held with the desire to revitalize entertainment through our own efforts, at a time when everyday life can no longer be enjoyed as before due to the spread of COVID-19. Keep an eye on the lineup, featuring artists selected through auditions and picks curated by trend-savvy young generations. It’s a wonderful event where simply taking part lets you support entertainment in many different ways.

When it comes to summer festivals in Kyoto, 10-FEET’s Kyoto Daisakusen is the obvious pick, but the winter tradition has to be Kyoto-born rock band ROTTENGRAFFTY’s Kyouto Chotokkyu. In 2014, the event moved to Pulse Plaza, and since 2016 it has expanded to a two-day format—Kyouto Chotokkyu is a festival you simply can’t take your eyes off as it keeps growing!

Kyoto’s anime music festival, Kyo Premium Live. With “Kyoto-ness” as its theme, this live event features anisong singers and voice-actor artists. For anime fans, it doesn’t get more luxurious than this. If you love anime, you can’t miss it.

It’s a festival hosted by the hugely popular youth punk band, Gagaga SP. The festival was organized out of a passionate desire to keep bands rooted in Kobe. All the performers are fiery artists whom Gagaga SP themselves genuinely want to share the stage with.