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

ONE STEP LIVE is organized and run primarily by local university students, driven by the hope that it will serve as a catalyst—one of those moments in which, amid our changed daily lives, people can find dreams and make friends to share them with. The structure enables students to turn ideas into reality, connect with one another, and engage with local companies, broadening their future paths through these experiences. Students and businesses work together to energize the event. There are also thoughtfully designed activities that parents and children can enjoy casually, making it a family-friendly music festival we highly recommend.

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.

BLAZE UP NAGASAKI, the outdoor festival hosted by SHANK, a three-piece melodic punk band from Nagasaki Prefecture, will once again be held this year at their local venue, Kamino-shima Park in Nagasaki. Since 2015, this event has been held outdoors. With the heat still lingering, why not make it the perfect finale to your summer festival season?