Highlights
- May 16 Period Picture Parade: samurai processions, the Masamune portable shrine and all 12 Sendai yamaboko floats (11:40 to about 15:15 in 2026)
- May 15 evening: lantern-lit yamaboko floats on Jozenji-dori (18:30–19:30 in 2026)
- Around 5,000 Sendai Suzume Odori dancers, plus a sō-odori dance anyone can join at the end of the May 15 evening session and on May 16
Background & story
Revived in 1985, the 350th anniversary of the death of Date Masamune, as a festival made by the people of Sendai; one of Sendai's three big festivals. It carries on the float parade of the Sendai Festival, the Sendai Toshogu shrine festival begun in 1655, and the Suzume Odori, said to have been improvised by stonemasons at the 1603 banquet celebrating the building of Sendai Castle (official site).
The Sendai Aoba Festival 2027 (the 43rd edition) runs on Saturday, May 15 (Yoi-matsuri, the eve festival) and Sunday, May 16, 2027 (Hon-matsuri, the main festival), on Jozenji-dori Avenue and elsewhere in downtown Sendai. Reserved grandstand seats on Jozenji-dori cost ¥1,000–¥5,000 per seat for the 43rd edition. Group (10+) and SS table reservations opened on October 1, 2026, first come, first served (SS seating has 20 tables in all), and individual ticket sales are scheduled to begin in March 2027 or later (official announcement, checked 2026-10-13).
The festival follows a fixed pattern: the main festival is held on the third Sunday of May and the eve festival on the Saturday before it — in 2027 that is May 16 and May 15. This page covers only the 2027 edition: dates, time slots, seats and how to get there. Where the organisers have not yet published 2027 times, we show the 2026 (42nd edition) times and label them as last year's.
Sendai Aoba Festival 2027 at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Edition | 43rd |
| Dates | Sat May 15, 2027 (eve festival) and Sun May 16, 2027 (main festival) |
| Area | Jozenji-dori Avenue and central Sendai (in 2026: Nishi Park, Jozenji-dori and Higashi-Nibancho, the last on the main day only) |
| Organiser | Sendai Aoba Festival Association (仙台・青葉まつり協賛会), office tel. +81-22-223-8441 |
| Reserved seats | On Jozenji-dori. Group and SS advance reservations: Oct 1, 2026, 10:00 – Mar 26, 2027, 12:00, first come, first served |
| Individual tickets | Scheduled from March 2027 or later (the group flyer says general sales are planned to open on April 6) |
| Rain | Held rain or shine; may be cancelled in a storm or very heavy rain |
| Official site | https://www.aoba-matsuri.com/ (English pages available) |
What happens on each day
| Day | What you see | 2027 official info | 2026 times (official pamphlet) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat May 15 — eve festival | Sendai Suzume Odori ("sparrow dance") troupes perform around the city; after dark, lantern-lit floats roll down Jozenji-dori in the Sendai Yoi-Yamaboko parade | Grandstand slots: day session 13:00–16:00, evening session 16:30–20:00 (provisional). A sō-odori dance everyone can join is planned at the end of the evening session | Jozenji-dori dance parade 12:50–18:20 / lantern floats 18:30–19:30 / sō-odori 19:45–20:00 |
| Sun May 16 — main festival | The Period Picture Parade: samurai processions, the Masamune portable shrine from Aoba Shrine, all 12 Sendai yamaboko floats and a mass sparrow dance | Grandstand slot 12:00–16:00 (provisional). Sō-odori planned at the end | Parade 11:40 to about 15:15 (from Fujisaki on Aoba-dori → Higashi-Nibancho → Jozenji-dori) / dance parade 12:45–15:45 / sō-odori 15:55–16:05 |
As of 2026-10-13 the organisers have not published 2027 times for each programme, the parade route or the traffic closures. Last year the pamphlet (kawaraban) and the road-closure PDF appeared on the official site in April–May 2026.
Reserved seat prices (43rd edition, Jozenji-dori)
| Seat | May 15 day | May 15 evening | May 16 main day |
|---|---|---|---|
| A (roadway, front row) | ¥1,500 | ¥2,500 | ¥4,000 |
| B (roadway, back row) | ¥1,000 | ¥2,000 | ¥3,500 |
| SA (Kokubuncho-dori crossing, front) | — | — | ¥5,000 |
| SB (Kokubuncho-dori crossing, back) | — | — | ¥4,500 |
| SS table for 4 (outside the tent, street edge) | ¥24,000 | ¥60,000 | ¥80,000 |
| SS table for 4 (inside the tent) | ¥16,000 | ¥40,000 | ¥60,000 |
| SS table for 2 (inside the tent) | ¥8,000 | ¥30,000 | ¥30,000 |
- Prices include tax: per seat for A–SB, per table for SS. Source: the official 43rd-edition reserved-seat flyer for groups and SS seats.
- Right now you can only book as a group of 10 or more (A, B, SA, SB) or for an SS table (from 2 people), by emailing the application form. Phone and fax bookings are not accepted.
- All seats are reserved. You can choose the seat type and the north or south side of the avenue, but not the exact seat. The day and evening sessions on May 15 are separate (everyone leaves between them).
- SA and SB seats exist on May 16 only, right by the matchlock-gun demonstration.
- From March 27, 2027 there are no refunds unless the festival itself is cancelled.
- Seat enquiries go to SenTIA (Sendai Tourism, Convention and International Association), which runs the seating: +81-22-268-9568, weekdays 9:00–17:30.
Getting there
- Jozenji-dori grandstands: right outside Kotodai-koen Station on the Sendai Subway Namboku Line, two stops from Sendai Station. Use exit "Koen 2" for north-side seats and exit "Minami 1" for south-side seats, then walk west.
- On foot from JR Sendai Station: about 15 minutes from the West Exit.
- From Tokyo: the Tohoku Shinkansen Hayabusa takes as little as 1 hour 32 minutes to Sendai (official access page).
- By car: there is no festival parking for seat holders, and central Sendai has road closures on the day, so use the subway or a paid car park downtown.
Good to know before you go
- The festival is held rain or shine. Only the SS area has a roof, and you are asked not to use umbrellas, parasols or tripods in the stands because they block other people's view, so bring a raincoat (official flyer).
- Smoking is banned across the whole festival area, including the stands.
- In 2026 the organisers asked visitors to take rubbish home or use the eco-stations, citing bear sightings in central Sendai.
- About 5,000 people dance the Sendai Suzume Odori each year; 141 troupes took part in 2026. The "Mori no Ichi" market sells food and goods from places linked to the Date clan.
Not yet announced for 2027 (as of 2026-10-13)
- Programme times, the parade route and the layout of the main venue (Nishi Park was the main venue in 2026)
- Road-closure sections and times
- The opening date and sales channel for individual seats (official news: "March 2027 or later"; group flyer: general sales "planned to open April 6")
The Aoba Festival is one of Sendai's three big festivals (official site). For Sendai's summer festival, see the Sendai Tanabata Festival. For more samurai processions in northern Japan, see samurai-on-horseback festivals in Tohoku and beyond.
Sources (checked 2026-10-13)
- Sendai Aoba Festival official: "Advance Reservations Open for Group and SS Reserved Seating for the 43rd Sendai Aoba Festival" (Oct 5, 2026) https://www.aoba-matsuri.com/advance-reservations-open-for-group-and-ss-reserved-seating-for-the-43rd-sendai-aoba-festival/
- Sendai Aoba Festival official (Japanese): 43rd reserved-seat advance booking notice (Sep 24, 2026) https://www.aoba-matsuri.com/%e3%80%90%e6%9c%89%e6%96%99%e8%a6%b3%e8%a6%a7%e5%b8%ad%e3%80%91%e5%9b%a3%e4%bd%93%ef%bc%8f%ef%bd%93%ef%bd%93%e5%b8%ad%e5%85%88%e8%a1%8c%e4%ba%88%e7%b4%84%e5%8f%97%e4%bb%98%e9%96%8b%e5%a7%8b%e3%81%97/
- Sendai Aoba Festival Association: 43rd reserved-seat advance booking flyer for groups and SS seats (PDF)
- Official "Outline" page (42nd edition) https://www.aoba-matsuri.com/outline
- Official "About the festival" https://www.aoba-matsuri.com/about
- Official "Period Picture Parade" https://www.aoba-matsuri.com/period-picture-parades
- Official 2026 pamphlet (kawaraban, PDF)
- Official "Access, venue map and road closures" https://www.aoba-matsuri.com/access
Update log: published 2026-10-13. Dates and reserved-seat booking confirmed from the organisers' 43rd-edition announcement. Programme times are from the 2026 official pamphlet and will be replaced once the 2027 times are published.
Good to know for visitors
- Getting there
- Grandstands on Jozenji-dori are right outside Kotodai-koen Station (Sendai Subway Namboku Line, 2 stops from Sendai Station; exit Koen 2 for north-side seats, Minami 1 for south-side seats). About 15 min walk from JR Sendai West Exit. No festival parking; roads closed downtown on the day. Open directions in Google Maps ↗
- Booking & entry
- Check tickets and details on the official page (button above).
- Paying
- Reserved seats (43rd edition, Jozenji-dori, tax incl.): A ¥1,500 (May 15 day) / ¥2,500 (May 15 evening) / ¥4,000 (May 16); B ¥1,000 / ¥2,000 / ¥3,500; SA ¥5,000 and SB ¥4,500 (May 16 only); SS tables ¥8,000–80,000. Group (10+) and SS bookings Oct 1, 2026 – Mar 26, 2027; individual sales from March 2027 or later (checked 2026-10-13).. Smaller venues in Japan are often cash-first — carry some yen (cards/IC not guaranteed).
- Language
- Mostly in Japanese — a translation app on your phone helps.
- Good for
- culture seekers, families
Good to know
The festival follows a fixed pattern: the main festival is held on the third Sunday of May, with the eve festival the day before. For a guaranteed view, book a Jozenji-dori grandstand seat (group and SS table bookings opened Oct 1, 2026, first come, first served, checked 2026-10-13; individual tickets from March 2027 or later). It is held rain or shine and you are asked not to use umbrellas in the stands because they block other people's view, so pack a raincoat. Take the subway to Kotodai-koen; there is no festival parking.
Frequently asked questions
- When is the Sendai Aoba Festival 2027?
- The 43rd Sendai Aoba Festival is on Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16, 2027 — May 15 is the eve festival (Yoi-matsuri) and May 16 the main festival (Hon-matsuri). The organisers gave these dates in their reserved-seat announcement. The festival follows a fixed pattern: the main festival is held on the third Sunday of May (checked 2026-10-13).
- What time does the Sendai Aoba Festival start and finish?
- Times for each 2027 programme are not out yet. Provisional grandstand times are 13:00–16:00 (day session) and 16:30–20:00 (evening session) on May 15, and 12:00–16:00 on May 16. In 2026 the main parade ran from 11:40 to about 15:15, and the eve-festival sō-odori dance was 19:45–20:00.
- How much are reserved seats and when can I buy them?
- On Jozenji-dori, A seats cost ¥1,500–¥4,000 and B seats ¥1,000–¥3,500. SA (¥5,000) and SB (¥4,500) seats are set up on May 16 only, and covered SS tables cost ¥8,000–¥80,000 per table (43rd-edition flyer, tax included). Groups of 10+ and SS tables can book from Oct 1, 2026 to Mar 26, 2027, 12:00. Individual sales are planned from March 2027 or later.
- Where is it held and which station is closest?
- The festival centres on Jozenji-dori Avenue in downtown Sendai. The grandstands are right outside Kotodai-koen Station on the Namboku subway line, two stops from Sendai Station, or about 15 minutes' walk from the JR Sendai West Exit. In 2026 the venues were Nishi Park, Jozenji-dori and Higashi-Nibancho (main day only). There is no festival parking, and roads are closed on the day.
- Does the festival go ahead in the rain?
- Yes. It is held rain or shine, but it may be cancelled in a storm or very heavy rain. Only the SS area of the grandstands has a roof, and you are asked not to use umbrellas in the stands because they block other people's view, so bring a raincoat (official flyer).
Getting there
Jozenji-dori Avenue and central Sendai (Sendai Aoba Festival) — Jozenji-dori, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi