[2025–2026] A roundup of popular winter festivals: Music festivals for the cold season

Editor-in-Chief, RAG MUSICKeisuke Hane
Editor-in-chief of RAG MUSIC. After working at a music studio and in wedding sound engineering, joined the RAG MUSIC editorial team in 2016. Experienced with various instruments: marching band in elementary school, clarinet in middle school wind ensemble, and drums in a band from high school onward. Drawing on personal music activities and professional experience, produces daily articles, including song introductions, features on music festivals around Japan, and live reports. Enjoys a wide range of music, from domestic and international rock to, more recently, a broad spectrum of J-pop.

Until now, when people talked about music festivals, the standard was summer festivals held outdoors.

But lately, winter festivals held during the colder months have also become the norm.

Most winter festivals are indoor events held in large halls or exhibition centers, and even in the cold of winter, the venues are filled with excitement.

In this article, we’ll introduce a whole lineup of these hot winter music festivals!

From Christmas events and countdown events to those held right after the New Year, there’s a full schedule.

February

Bukurock! Festival OsakaSun, Feb 1 — Osaka Prefecture

nafr.noor.jp

Schedule	Sunday, February 1, 2026
place	GORILLA HALL OSAKA, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture
Website	https://nafr.noor.jp/bukurock/2025/index.html

View details

JAPAN BREWERS CUPFri 2/6 – Sat 2/7, Kanagawa Prefecture

http://www.japanbrewerscup.jp

Schedule	Fri, Feb 6 – Sat, Feb 7, 2026
place	Osanbashi Hall, Yokohama, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture
Website	https://www.japanbrewerscup.jp/
SNS

View details

HAKUBA Winter FestivalFeb 6 (Fri) – 7 (Sat), Nagano Prefecture

Schedule	Fri, Feb 6 – Sat, Feb 7, 2026
place	Kamikō, 22203-78, Hakuba-mura, Nagano Prefecture
SNS

BLARE FESTSat 2/7–Sun 2/8, Aichi Prefecture

blarefest.com

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.

Schedule	Saturday–Sunday, February 7–8, 2026
place	Kinjo-futo 2-chome, Minato Ward, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture / Port Messe Nagoya
Website	https://blarefest.com/
SNS

View details

Bukkurock! Festival TokyoSun, Feb 8, Tokyo Metropolis

Schedule	Sunday, February 8, 2026
place	Ota City, Tokyo, Zepp Haneda

Sakurazaka ASYLUMSunday, February 15, Okinawa Prefecture

asylum-okinawa.info

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.

Schedule	Sunday, February 15, 2026
place	Okinawa Prefecture Naha City Sakurazaka Theater / Sakurazaka Central / Cafe Colors / nuff-hive / SMOKE / Sakurazaka g / Livehouse Output / Kibōgaoka Park
Website	http://asylum-okinawa.info/
SNS

View details