Rock Festival Calendar for July [2025–2026]

A massive festival will be held in Maishima, conveniently accessible from central Osaka and located very close to USJ, just as the event title suggests. Centered on pop and rock yet not confined to any specific genre, it’s an event that families can enjoy as well.

NUMBER SHOT has been held since 2014 as a successor to HIGHER GROUND, which took place from 2003 at the Uminonakamichi Seaside Park Outdoor Theater in Fukuoka Prefecture. Its hallmark is a relatively wide-ranging lineup, from rock bands and singer-songwriters to reggae groups. It’s one of those essential events in Kyushu’s summer live music scene.

Bugsami is a summer festival organized by the visual kei rock band BugLug, bringing together visual kei artists. It began in 2018, held its first outdoor edition in 2022, and has been steadily expanding in scale. The lineup, featuring acts connected to BugLug, draws attention every year. There are also attendee-exclusive programs that make it well worth the trip for visitors. With accommodation plans available, you can enjoy the event at a relaxed pace.

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.

This historic festival in Kushiro, Hokkaido began in 1985. It started by turning the troublesome sea fog—something the locals often contend with—into a unique event theme. Highlights include not only live performances by artists, but also food stalls and kitchen cars from local shops offering delicious fare, as well as a sound-and-light fog laser show in collaboration with DJs. Since 2021, there have also been booths where you can experience glamping and day-trip camping. It’s well worth the trip: enjoy music and food while taking in the natural surroundings!

Speaking of Fuji Rock, it’s one of Japan’s three major music festivals. It’s a large outdoor rock festival that draws over 100,000 attendees across three days every year. The venue is Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture. You can enjoy a wide range of musical genres across stages of various sizes, and at night there are all-night DJ events—truly a festival where you can immerse yourself in music. Plus, just being at a festival set in the great outdoors is enough to get your heart racing. If you’re a music fan, it’s a festival you should attend at least once.