Highlights
- Oct 17 (Sat) – 18 (Sun), 2026 — the 72nd festival (City of Nagoya / Aichi Now, checked 2026-10-14)
- No parade in 2026 — it clashes with the Asian Para Games torch relay and opening ceremony (checked 2026-10-14)
- Three Heroes floats on display at Angel Plaza (Oct 17 11:00–17:00, Oct 18 10:00–17:00), karakuri and kagura (checked 2026-10-14)
- Bon odori (Oct 17 18:00–20:00, Oct 18 17:00–19:00) and the Oct 18 16:20 Yoi-no-kuchi program (checked 2026-10-14)
- Nagoya Castle and the Toyotomi Museum free on both days; Higashiyama Zoo and more free on Oct 18 (checked 2026-10-14)
Background & story
First held in 1955, the festival celebrates Aichi as the birthplace of the three warlords who unified feudal Japan.
The 72nd Nagoya Festival (Nagoya Matsuri) takes place on Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18, 2026. The main venue is Hisaya-odori Park (EDION Hisaya Plaza, Angel Plaza, Ai Plaza and Sakae Hirobas), open 11:00–20:00 on the 17th and 10:00–20:00 on the 18th. There is no festival parade in 2026 — including the famous Local Heroes (Three Heroes) procession. On February 16, 2026 the City of Nagoya announced that, because the dates clash with the torch relay and opening ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games, the parade would not be held for safety reasons. The public casting of the Three Heroes and the Oasis 21 venue events are also cancelled (City of Nagoya and the official festival site, checked 2026-10-14).
Instead, the floats, festival carts, kagura and flower cars that normally join the parade are gathered in Hisaya-odori Park as one-year-only special exhibits (Aichi Now, the Aichi Prefecture tourism site, checked 2026-10-14).
At a glance (2026)
| Event | 72nd Nagoya Festival (Nagoya Matsuri) |
| Dates | Sat Oct 17 – Sun Oct 18, 2026 |
| Parade | Not held in 2026 (no Local Heroes procession, no public casting of the Three Heroes, no Oasis 21 venue) |
| Main venue | Hisaya-odori Park (EDION Hisaya Plaza, Angel Plaza, Ai Plaza, Sakae Hirobas). Oct 17 11:00–20:00 / Oct 18 10:00–20:00 |
| Other venues | Nagoya Castle and others (Nagoya Castle admission is free on both days) |
| Price | Free entry |
| Road closures | None for a parade, since there is no parade (official FAQ); separate temporary closures on Oct 18–19 for the Asian Para Games opening ceremony (Aichi Police) |
| Rain | Hisaya-odori Park and Nagoya Castle venues go ahead in rain, cancelled in severe weather (some Angel Plaza programs are cancelled in rain) |
| Organizer | Nagoya Festival Cooperation Association (名古屋まつり協進会), tel. 052-972-7611. Same-day status: Nagoya Oshiete Dial 052-953-7584 |
| Official info | Official site / City of Nagoya announcement (Japanese) / Aichi Now / Nagoya Concierge (English) |
What replaces the parade — Angel Plaza times
Times for 2026 as listed on the official venue page and leaflet and on the city's Nagoya Concierge tourism site (checked 2026-10-14). All four are cancelled in rain.
| Program | Sat Oct 17 | Sun Oct 18 |
|---|---|---|
| Three Heroes float display (the floats Nobunaga, Hideyoshi and Ieyasu ride in the parade; photo spot) | 11:00–17:00 | 10:00–17:00 |
| Kagura festival music | 11:00–12:00 and 13:00–14:00 | 10:00–11:30 |
| Festival-cart music and karakuri puppet performances | 12:00–13:00 and 14:00–15:00 | 11:30–13:00 and 14:30–15:30 |
| Bon odori dance to the parade's "Shachi-bayashi" | 18:00–20:00 | 17:00–19:00 |
On Sunday the 18th from 16:20, the "Yoi-no-kuchi" program at the Angel Plaza dance tower features a bon odori with the Nagoya Omotenashi Busho-tai samurai troupe and a "kachidoki" rock-paper-scissors game with Ukon Onoe, who plays Ashikaga Yoshiaki in the NHK drama "Toyotomi Brothers!". Free, no tickets, cancelled in rain (official news and leaflet, checked 2026-10-14).
EDION Hisaya Plaza, Ai Plaza and Sakae Hirobas
- EDION Hisaya Plaza: a flower car from the parade on display (photo spot), samurai-troupe performances, the student "Nagoya Youth Power Stage", Nagoya food booths and food trucks. On the main stage: festival ambassador Asaka Seto (talk show) and Kaori Mizumori on Saturday the 17th, and Ukon Onoe's "Toyotomi Brothers!" cast talk on Sunday the 18th. Check exact stage times in the leaflet (PDF) on the official Hisaya-odori Park venue page.
- Domatsuri dance: teams from August's 28th Nippon Domannaka Festival perform on both days (Nagoya Concierge and the official leaflet, checked 2026-10-14). For the dance festival itself, see Nippon Domannaka Festival.
- Ai Plaza: street performers.
- Sakae Hirobas: stage, booths and food trucks; on Saturday the 17th, the "Sister City Festival 2026" with a goodwill delegation from Los Angeles.
A free puzzle game, "The Three Heroes' Old Scroll", starts from booklets handed out at Nana-chan Street (Meitetsu Nagoya Station), near Exit 5 of Fushimi Station and at Angel Plaza; registration closes at 18:00 on both days (official site and Nagoya Concierge, checked 2026-10-14).
Nagoya Castle and free admission
Nagoya Castle is free to enter on both October 17 and 18 (the main keep itself is closed). The Toyotomi Museum in Nakamura Park, home to the drama exhibition for NHK's "Toyotomi Brothers!", is also free on both days; it is about a 10-minute walk north from Exit 3 of Nakamura Koen Station (Higashiyama Line) and opens 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30). On Sunday the 18th, Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Tokugawa Garden, Nagoya City Art Museum, Higashiyama Sky Tower and others are also free. Check the dates per facility on the official free admission page; parking is not free (checked 2026-10-14). Nagoya Castle is a 5-minute walk from Exit 7 of Nagoya-jo Station (Meijo Line).
Getting there and road closures
- Hisaya-odori Park: subway Sakae, Hisaya-odori or Yabacho stations, or Meitetsu Sakaemachi. There is no festival parking — use public transport (Aichi Now, Nagoya Concierge).
- Because there is no parade in 2026, there are no parade road closures (official FAQ, checked 2026-10-14). Closure maps you may find online are from 2025 (the 71st festival). Separately, Aichi Police will run temporary road closures in Nagoya on Oct 18–19 for the Asian Para Games opening ceremony and related events (checked 2026-10-14).
- Nagoya City Transportation Bureau sells a 72nd Nagoya Festival commemorative Donichi Eco Ticket (all city buses and subways for one day, adult only, ¥620, 10,000 copies) (City of Nagoya and official news, checked 2026-10-14).
If it rains
The Hisaya-odori Park and Nagoya Castle venues go ahead in rain and are cancelled only in severe weather; some events may still change. At Angel Plaza the float display, kagura, karakuri performances, bon odori and the Yoi-no-kuchi program are cancelled in rain. Cancellations are posted on the official site and the festival's X account (@nagoya_matsuri); the Nagoya Oshiete Dial (052-953-7584, daily 8:00–21:00) answers whether events are on.
Sources (checked 2026-10-14)
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- Subway Sakae, Hisaya-odori or Yabacho stations, or Meitetsu Sakaemachi, for Hisaya-odori Park (no festival parking). Nagoya Castle: 5 min walk from Exit 7 of Nagoya-jo Station (Meijo Line). No parade road closures in 2026 (separate temporary closures on Oct 18–19 for the Asian Para Games opening) Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Free to attend — details on the official page (button above).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
- Good for
- culture seekers, families, art lovers
Good to know
No parade in 2026, so there is no need to stake out a roadside spot. The Three Heroes floats are on display at Angel Plaza in Hisaya-odori Park (Oct 17 11:00–17:00, Oct 18 10:00–17:00); karakuri puppet shows run Oct 17 at 12:00 and 14:00 and Oct 18 at 11:30 and 14:30 (cancelled in rain). No parade road closures (but separate temporary closures on Oct 18–19 for the Asian Para Games opening) and no festival parking — take the subway to Sakae, Hisaya-odori or Yabacho. Nagoya Castle is free both days (checked 2026-10-14).
Frequently asked questions
- When is the Nagoya Festival 2026?
- The 72nd Nagoya Festival is on Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18, 2026. The main venue, Hisaya-odori Park, is open 11:00–20:00 on the 17th and 10:00–20:00 on the 18th. Both the City of Nagoya and the Aichi Now prefectural tourism site list these dates (checked 2026-10-14).
- Is there a Three Heroes parade at the Nagoya Festival 2026?
- No. The City of Nagoya announced on February 16, 2026 that the festival parade would not be held, because it clashes with the torch relay and opening ceremony of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games. The public casting of the Three Heroes and the Oasis 21 venue are also cancelled (checked 2026-10-14).
- What can I see without the parade?
- At Angel Plaza in Hisaya-odori Park: the Three Heroes floats on display (Oct 17 11:00–17:00, Oct 18 10:00–17:00), karakuri puppet performances on festival carts, kagura music and a bon odori to the parade's Shachi-bayashi (all cancelled in rain). EDION Hisaya Plaza has a flower car, samurai troupes and stage guests including ambassador Asaka Seto (official site and leaflet, checked 2026-10-14).
- Are there road closures for the Nagoya Festival 2026?
- No parade road closures this year, because there is no parade (official FAQ, checked 2026-10-14). Separately, Aichi Police will run temporary road closures in Nagoya on Oct 18–19 for the Asian Para Games opening ceremony and related events (checked 2026-10-14). There is no festival parking, so take the subway to Sakae, Hisaya-odori or Yabacho.
- What happens if it rains?
- The Hisaya-odori Park and Nagoya Castle venues go ahead in rain and are cancelled only in severe weather. The Angel Plaza float display, kagura, karakuri performances, bon odori and the Oct 18 Yoi-no-kuchi program are cancelled in rain. The Nagoya Oshiete Dial (052-953-7584) confirms whether events are on (checked 2026-10-14).
- Which attractions are free during the festival?
- Nagoya Castle and the Toyotomi Museum in Nakamura Park are free on both Oct 17 and 18 (the castle's main keep is closed). On Sunday Oct 18, Higashiyama Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Tokugawa Garden, Nagoya City Art Museum and others are free too. Check each facility's date on the official free-admission page; parking is not free (checked 2026-10-14).
Getting there
Hisaya-odori Park (EDION Hisaya Plaza, Angel Plaza, Ai Plaza, Sakae Hirobas) and Nagoya Castle — Sakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya, Aichi