Highlights
- All five venues switch on together on Friday 20 November 2026 (46th edition; checked 2026-10-11)
- Each venue ends on a different date — Odori 25 Dec, Ekimae-dori 11 Feb 2027, Minami-1-jo/Akapla/Station South 14 Mar 2027
- Official venue pages list 16:30–22:00 (Station South Exit to 24:00) — the same as last season, so check the 2026 hours and any Christmas extension on the official site
- A new Nakajima Park venue joins for 2026 (planned for early to late January 2027, per the organiser's event outline)
- Free to view, no ticket needed; Odori Station is a minute away on three subway lines
- Same dates as the 25th Munich Christmas Market in Sapporo (20 Nov – 25 Dec, 11:00–21:00), on the neighbouring blocks of Odori Park (market West 1–2, illumination West 3–5)
Background & story
Centred on Odori Park, Sapporo White Illumination has grown into one of the city's signature winter events. It is the opening act of Sapporo's long, luminous cold season — lit weeks before the more famous Snow Festival arrives.
The 2026 run ends on a different date at each venue
For its 46th edition, all five venues switch on together on Friday 20 November 2026 — and then finish on different dates. Plan around "Sapporo's lights end in December" and you'll miss the sites that stay lit until March.
| Venue | Lit (2026–27) | Hours (as listed on official venue pages; same as last season) |
|---|---|---|
| Odori (the symbol objects) | 20 Nov 2026 – 25 Dec 2026 | 16:30–22:00 |
| Ekimae-dori (Sapporo Stn → Susukino, ~1.5 km) | 20 Nov 2026 – 11 Feb 2027 | 16:30–22:00 |
| Minami-1-jo-dori | 20 Nov 2026 – 14 Mar 2027 | 16:30–22:00 |
| Akapla (Sapporo Kita 3-jo Plaza) | 20 Nov 2026 – 14 Mar 2027 | 16:30–22:00 (start shifts with sunset) |
| Sapporo Station South Exit Plaza | 20 Nov 2026 – 14 Mar 2027 | 16:30–24:00 (start shifts with sunset) |
| Nakajima Park (new for 2026) | Early to late January 2027 (planned, per the organiser's event outline) | Not announced (as of 2026-10-11 the organiser says details are due around late October) |
Source: the event outline published on 13 July 2026 by the organiser, the Sapporo White Illumination Executive Committee (secretariat at the Sapporo Tourist Association), and the venue pages on the official site — all checked 2026-10-11. The Hokkaido Tourism Organization's event listing gives the same dates.
Correction. This page previously listed "opens 19 November, Odori to 24 December, Ekimae-dori to 10 February 2027, Minami-1-jo-dori/Akapla/Station South Exit to 13 March 2027" — every date one day early, in error. The organiser, the Sapporo White Illumination Executive Committee, announced a run of Friday 20 November 2026 to Sunday 14 March 2027 in a notice of 16 March 2026, and its event outline of 13 July 2026 sets the per-venue dates: Odori to Friday 25 December, Ekimae-dori to Thursday 11 February 2027 (a national holiday), and Minami-1-jo-dori, Akapla and the Station South Exit plaza to Sunday 14 March 2027 (checked 2026-10-11). This page now uses the organiser's dates.
What each venue actually looks like
- Odori — the row of large and small illuminated sculptures; the one in every photo. Shortest season.
- Ekimae-dori — roughly 1.5 km from Sapporo Station to Susukino, with about 220,000 LEDs in the trees down the central reservation.
- Minami-1-jo-dori — 46 ginkgo trees along a roughly 300 m stretch of Minami 1-jo West 1–3, lit by around 70,000 LEDs.
- Akapla (Kita 3-jo Plaza) — ginkgo avenue framing the red-brick former Hokkaido Government Office, with a "City Aurora" concept that presents the lights as an urban aurora.
- Sapporo Station South Exit Plaza — a sound-and-light programme that changes four times across the season, plus new displays for 2026 including a colour wall. Per the official venue pages, the only venue lit until 24:00 in the regular season.
The Munich Christmas Market in Sapporo runs alongside it
The 25th Munich Christmas Market in Sapporo takes place in Odori Park, West 1 and 2 Chome, from Friday 20 November to Friday 25 December 2026, 11:00–21:00 (dates, place and edition from the organiser's event outline, hours from the official page; the Hokkaido Tourism Organization listing agrees — checked 2026-10-11). It runs on the same dates as the Odori illumination venue, on the neighbouring blocks of Odori Park (illumination West 3–5, market West 1–2), so you can do both in one evening. Hours can change, so check the official page before you go: https://www.sapporo.travel/white-illumination/event/munich/
Cost and lighting hours
Viewing is free. The illuminated areas are open-air public spaces with no ticket (food and goods at the Christmas market are of course paid).
Hours: as of 2026-10-11 the official venue pages list 16:30–22:00 for Odori, Ekimae-dori, Minami-1-jo-dori and Akapla, and 16:30–24:00 for the Station South Exit plaza (checked 2026-10-11). These are the same as last season (2025–26), and the Christmas late-opening notes on those pages still carry 2025's weekdays, so treat the 2026 hours and any Christmas extension as unconfirmed and check the official site before you go: https://www.sapporo.travel/white-illumination/ The organiser notes that lighting hours may change without notice during the season.
Three winter light events, often confused
Sapporo runs three separate things in winter:
- Sapporo White Illumination (this event, from 20 November)
- Munich Christmas Market in Sapporo (20 Nov – 25 Dec, Odori Park West 1–2)
- Sapporo Snow Festival (early February)
Visit by 25 December and you get 1 and 2; come in February and you get 3 plus the later-running illumination venues. Odori Park is exposed and genuinely cold — serious layers and grippy boots.
For how this compares with the rest of Japan's winter displays, see Japan's winter illuminations & Christmas markets 2026–27.
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- Odori Station (Subway) or JR Sapporo Station. 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
- date night, art lovers, families
Good to know
The trap is that each venue ends on a different date: assume "Sapporo's lights finish in December" and you miss Minami-1-jo-dori, Akapla and the Station South Exit plaza, which stay lit to 14 March 2027. Odori (West 3–5, to 25 December) and the Munich Christmas Market (next door at West 1–2, to 25 December) run on the same dates side by side, so do them in one evening. The official venue pages list 16:30–22:00 (Station South Exit to 24:00), but those match last season, so check the hours on the official site before a late visit (checked 2026-10-11). Odori Park is exposed and genuinely cold — serious layers and grippy boots. For how this compares with the rest of Japan, see our Japan winter illuminations 2026–2027 guide.
Frequently asked questions
- When does Sapporo White Illumination 2026 run?
- All five venues switch on together on Friday 20 November 2026 for the 46th edition, then finish on different dates: Odori on 25 December 2026, Ekimae-dori on 11 February 2027, and Minami-1-jo-dori, Akapla (Sapporo Kita 3-jo Plaza) and the Sapporo Station South Exit plaza on 14 March 2027 (organiser's event outline and official venue pages, checked 2026-10-11).
- How many venues are there, and where?
- For 2026 there are five — Odori, Ekimae-dori, Minami-1-jo-dori, Akapla (Sapporo Kita 3-jo Plaza) and the Sapporo Station South Exit plaza — plus a new Nakajima Park venue (Nakajima Koen 1, Chuo-ku). The organiser's event outline gives Nakajima Park a planned run of early to late January 2027; as of 2026-10-11 the organiser says further details, including hours, are due around late October (https://www.sapporo.travel/white-illumination/event/illumination/nakajima/).
- What is different about each venue?
- Odori has the large and small illuminated sculptures you see in every photo, and the shortest season. Ekimae-dori runs about 1.5 km from Sapporo Station to Susukino with roughly 220,000 LEDs in the trees down the central reservation. Minami-1-jo-dori lights 46 ginkgo trees along a roughly 300 m stretch of Minami 1-jo West 1–3 with about 70,000 LEDs. Akapla frames the red-brick former Hokkaido Government Office with a "City Aurora" concept. The Station South Exit plaza runs a sound-and-light programme that changes four times across the season, with a new colour wall for 2026.
- Is there an entry fee, and what are the lighting hours?
- Viewing is free and no ticket is needed — the illuminated areas are open-air public spaces. As of 2026-10-11 the official venue pages list 16:30–22:00 (16:30–24:00 at the Station South Exit plaza), but these match last season (2025–26) and the Christmas late-opening notes still carry 2025's weekdays, so check the 2026 hours on the official site (https://www.sapporo.travel/white-illumination/, checked 2026-10-11).
- Is the Christmas market on at the same time?
- Yes. The 25th Munich Christmas Market in Sapporo runs in Odori Park, West 1 and 2 Chome, from Friday 20 November to Friday 25 December 2026, 11:00–21:00 (organiser's event outline and official page, checked 2026-10-11). It runs on the same dates as the Odori illumination venue, on the neighbouring blocks of Odori Park (illumination West 3–5, market West 1–2), so you can do both in one evening.
- Is this the same as the Sapporo Snow Festival?
- No. Sapporo runs three separate winter events: the White Illumination (this one, from 20 November), the Munich Christmas Market in Sapporo (20 November – 25 December) and the Sapporo Snow Festival (early February). Visit by 25 December and you get the first two; come in February and you get the Snow Festival plus the later-running illumination venues.
- Didn't this page say it opens on 19 November?
- Yes, and that was our error. This page previously listed 19 November (Odori to 24 December, Ekimae-dori to 10 February 2027, others to 13 March 2027) — every date one day early. The organiser announced a run of Friday 20 November 2026 to Sunday 14 March 2027 on 16 March 2026, and its event outline of 13 July 2026 sets the per-venue dates (Odori to 25 December, Ekimae-dori to 11 February 2027, Minami-1-jo-dori, Akapla and the Station South Exit plaza to 14 March 2027). This page now uses the organiser's dates (checked 2026-10-11).
Getting there
Odori, Ekimae-dori, Minami-1-jo-dori, Akapla and Sapporo Station South Exit (plus a new Nakajima Park venue for 2026) — Odori, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido