OfficialThis weekendLake Biwa Grand Fireworks Festival 2026
Around 12,000 fireworks reflect off Japan's largest lake near Otsu in a 40th-anniversary show fused with drones and lasers.
2026/08/06 19:30 KyotoFree
© Lonely Planet Japan · CC BY-SA 4.0When
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OfficialThis weekend
OfficialUpcomingArashiyama Toro Nagashi (Lantern Floating)
Thousands of memorial lanterns drift down the Oi River below Arashiyama as the 'Torii-gata' bonfire of the Gozan Okuribi blazes on the hillside above.
2026/08/16 19:00 KyotoFree
© New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General · CC BY 4.0
OfficialUpcomingKyoto Gozan no Okuribi 2026
Giant kanji and shapes blaze on five mountains around Kyoto to send ancestral spirits home at the close of Obon.
2026/08/16 20:00 KyotoFree
© ja:User:Kyoto-u · CC BY 2.5
OfficialUpcomingWORLD KYOTO
Kyoto's biggest club: a multi-floor Kiyamachi institution that has hosted Skrillex, Steve Aoki and Fatboy Slim for 1,000+ dancers.
2026/08/29 22:00 KyotoDoor charge varies by event (with drink)
© Mariemon at jp Wikipedia · CC BY 3.0
OfficialUpcomingSeptember Kabuki 'LUPIN III' at the Minamiza Theatre
Japan's oldest kabuki theatre in Kyoto stages a modern crossover, fusing the world of kabuki with the famous anime master-thief Lupin III. A playful, fast-paced gateway into the art form, with English audio guides available.
2026/09/02 11:00 KyotoTickets vary by seat class; check the official site. English audio guide available for rental.
© Chainwit. · CC BY-SA 4.0
OfficialUpcomingBelgian Beer Weekend Kyoto 2026
UNESCO-listed Belgian beer culture lands in front of Kyoto's Higashi-Honganji temple — dozens of imported brews, frites, waffles and live music in an open-air city festival.
2026/10/08 12:00 KyotoFree
© Henxter · CC BY-SA 4.0
OfficialUpcomingJidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages)
A 2-km parade of 2,000 people in meticulously accurate costumes marches through 1,000 years of Kyoto history, from Heian nobles to Meiji revolutionaries.
2026/10/22 12:00 KyotoFree
© Corpse Reviver · CC BY-SA 3.0
OfficialUpcomingKurama Fire Festival (Kurama no Hi Matsuri)
Men in loincloths haul flaming 80-kg torches through a mountain village after dark in one of Kyoto's wildest, most primal night festivals.
2026/10/22 18:00 KyotoFree
© ja:User:Si-take. · CC BY-SA 3.0
OfficialUpcomingGion Odori — Autumn Geisha Dance of Gion Higashi
Kyoto's only autumn geisha dance, staged by the geiko and maiko of the Gion Higashi district. Ten days of elegant kyomai dance under lanterns, accompanied by live shamisen and song — a refined seasonal highlight of Kyoto.
2026/11/01 13:30 Kyoto¥6,000 (viewing only); ¥7,000 with a tea ceremony. Two shows daily at 13:30 and 16:00.
© Joi (Joi Ito) · CC BY 2.0
OfficialUpcomingEikando Temple Autumn Light-Up
Kyoto's most celebrated maple temple glows after dark in autumn, its crimson leaves mirrored in a tranquil pond.
2026/11/14 17:30 KyotoEvening light-up admission around 600-700 yen
© Suicasmo · CC BY-SA 4.0
OfficialUpcomingArashiyama Autumn Leaves
Kyoto's Arashiyama bursts into crimson and gold each November, with mountain temples, a scenic train and bamboo groves.
2026/11/15 08:00 KyotoFree
© Takeshi Kuboki · CC BY 2.0
OfficialUpcomingJoya-no-Kane at Chion-in — Japan's Mightiest New Year Bell
Seventeen monks heave on ropes to toll Chion-in's 70-ton bell 108 times on New Year's Eve, each deep strike clearing a worldly desire.
2026/12/31 22:30 KyotoPaid viewing — advance reservation required (from 2025)
© Marianne North · Public domain
OfficialUpcomingFushimi Inari Taisha Hatsumode — Thousand Vermilion Torii
Kyoto's head Inari shrine welcomes some 2.5 million New Year worshippers who pray for prosperity beneath endless tunnels of vermilion torii.
2026/12/31 23:00 KyotoFree
© Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert · CC BY-SA 4.0
OfficialUpcomingYoshida Shrine Setsubun Festival 2027
Kyoto's most famous Setsubun rite, where a masked exorcist drives off blue, red and yellow demons in an ancient court ceremony, ringed by 800 food stalls.
2027/02/02 18:00 KyotoFree
© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0OfficialUpcomingKyoto Marathon 2027
Kyoto Marathon 2027 runs Feb 21, sending 16,000 runners past Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji and five more UNESCO sites before finishing at Heian-jingu Shrine.
2027/02/21 09:00 KyotoMarathon entry ¥18,500 (Kyoto residents) / ¥19,500 (other domestic) / ¥35,000 (overseas); pair-ekiden ¥34,000/pair; wheelchair race ¥3,000. Spectating is free.
© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0OfficialUpcomingKYOTOGRAPHIE 2027: Dates, Venues & Passport Tickets
KYOTOGRAPHIE 2027 (Apr 17–May 16): Kyoto's international photography festival shows world-class work in temples and machiya across the city. Confirmed dates, venues, Passport tickets.
2027/04/17 10:00 KyotoPer-venue tickets or an all-venue Passport; some programs are free.
© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0
OfficialUpcomingSTAR FESTIVAL 2027
A two-stage open-air house/techno/bass festival with camping in the Kyoto countryside (next edition dates TBA).
2027/05/15 10:00 KyotoAdvance standing ~¥9,000–10,000; group packs; camping/parking extra
© Oilstreet · CC BY 2.5
OfficialUpcomingAoi Matsuri (Hollyhock Festival)
A 1,400-year-old imperial procession of 500 people in Heian-era robes winds 8km through Kyoto, oxen and ox-carts adorned with hollyhock leaves.
2027/05/15 10:30 KyotoFree
© Marie-Sophie Mejan · CC BY 4.0OfficialUpcomingBitSummit 2027 (Indie Game Expo)
Japan's largest indie game festival fills Kyoto's Miyako Messe with playable booths from developers worldwide.
2027/05/21 10:00 KyotoTicketed (around ¥2,000+ per day, 2026 reference); Day 1 is business-only.
© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0
OfficialPast eventMiyako Odori (Cherry Blossom Dances)
Gion's geiko and maiko perform the elegant Miyako Odori every April, a dazzling spring dance of kimono, music and seasonal scenes.
2026/04/01 12:30 KyotoTickets from around 4,000 yen; tea-ceremony seats cost more
© Conveyor belt sushi · CC BY 2.0
OfficialPast eventMimuroto-ji Hydrangea Garden
Some 20,000 hydrangeas in 50 varieties carpet a hillside temple garden in Uji — including the elusive star-shaped 'shichidanka' — with weekend evening light-ups.
2026/06/22 08:30 KyotoGarden admission approx. ¥1,000 (adults).
© BLM Nevada · CC BY-SA 2.0
OfficialPast eventArashiyama Bamboo Grove
Walk a luminous path through towering bamboo in Kyoto's Arashiyama, where filtered light and rustling stalks feel otherworldly.
2026/06/26 07:00 KyotoFree
© Mitchwandrew · CC BY 4.0
OfficialPast eventKyoto Tea Ceremony Experience
Learn the graceful art of the Japanese tea ceremony in a traditional Kyoto machiya, hosted in English for visitors.
2026/06/26 11:00 KyotoSessions typically 2,500-6,000 yen; reservations required
© Atticus nguyen · CC BY-SA 4.0
OfficialPast eventSamurai & Ninja Museum Kyoto with Experience
Dress in samurai armor, try sword training and throw shuriken on an English guided tour through Japan's warrior history in the heart of downtown Kyoto.
2026/06/27 14:00 KyotoBasic ticket from about ¥3,000 (adult); longer experiences cost more
© Auckland Museum Collections from Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand · CC BY 2.0
OfficialPast eventGekkeikan Okura Sake Museum & Tasting, Fushimi
Tour a historic 1909 sake brewery in Kyoto's Fushimi district, see the old tools of the trade, taste the pure underground water, and finish with a sake tasting — all for ¥600.
2026/06/28 10:00 Kyoto¥600 admission (age 20+, includes sake tasting); ¥100 ages 13-19, free under 12
© Umio · CC BY-SA 4.0
OfficialPast eventJapanese Calligraphy (Shodo) Experience in Kyoto
Learn to hold the brush, control the ink and write kanji the traditional way in a 90-minute English-led shodo class — and take your finished artwork home as a keepsake.
2026/06/28 11:00 KyotoReserve via the official site for current pricing
© Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.5
OfficialPast eventFushimi Sake District Brewery Walk
Stroll Kyoto's historic Fushimi sake quarter, where soft spring water and centuries-old breweries make some of Japan's finest sake.
2026/06/28 11:00 KyotoTastings and museum entry from a few hundred yen
© 663highland · CC BY 2.5
OfficialPast eventAuthentic Ninja Training at Ninja Dojo Kyoto
Train like a real ninja with a licensed Japanese master — sword, dagger, shuriken and blowgun techniques in a downtown tatami dojo, taught hands-on in English.
2026/06/29 13:00 Kyoto1-hour lesson ¥10,000; 2-hour lesson ¥15,000 per person (ninja costume included)
© M Disdero · CC BY-SA 2.5
OfficialPast eventPottery Wheel Experience at Shunzan Gama
Throw your own bowl or cup on an electric potter's wheel with a third-generation Kyoto ceramicist near Sennyu-ji; your fired piece is shipped to you afterward.
2026/06/30 10:00 KyotoQuick course about ¥2,000 (20 min); standard course ¥5,000 (30-60 min), plus tax
© Tom Parker · Public domainOfficialPast eventGion Corner — Seven Traditional Arts in One Evening
A 50-minute sampler of Kyoto's traditional performing arts in one sitting: maiko kyomai dance, bunraku puppet theatre, kyogen comedy, court bugaku dance, tea ceremony, ikebana and koto. The easiest, most tourist-friendly intro to Japanese arts.
2026/06/30 18:00 KyotoAdult from ¥5,500; premium seats ¥6,600. Daily shows at 18:00 and 19:00 (winter Dec–Mar: Tue–Fri only).
© Joi (Joi Ito) · CC BY 2.0
OfficialPast eventKyoto International Manga Museum
A converted 1920s schoolhouse whose corridors are lined with 50,000 readable manga — pull any volume off the 200m 'Wall of Manga' and sprawl on the lawn.
2026/07/01 10:00 KyotoAdults ¥900 (check site for current fees)
© Yu Morita from Tokyo, Japan · CC BY-SA 2.0
OfficialPast eventPontocho Evening Stroll & Dining
Kyoto's most atmospheric nightlife lane — a narrow lantern-lit alley of riverside restaurants, sake bars and traditional teahouses.
2026/07/01 18:00 KyotoFree
© Sergiy Galyonkin · CC BY-SA 2.0OfficialPast eventKITSUNE KYOTO
Kyoto's largest club — a two-floor Kiyamachi venue running EDM/house/techno upstairs and hip-hop on another floor.
2026/07/01 22:00 KyotoDoor with drink; tourist-friendly entry packages available
© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0
OfficialPast eventNintendo Museum
Nintendo's own museum in Uji traces 130+ years of play — from hanafuda cards to the Switch — with giant interactive exhibits in a former factory.
2026/07/02 10:00 KyotoLottery reservation required; admission via official ticket draw
© Evan-Amos · Public domain
JmtyPast eventKyoto Japan–Korea Conversation Café
A relaxed Korean-conversation meetup at a Kyoto café—practice speaking at any level with seats arranged by ability, then swap contacts over coffee.
2026/07/04 15:00 Kyoto¥1,000 (¥500 if no Korean attendees)
© Edge place（エッヂプレイス） · via jmty
OfficialPast eventGekkeikan Okura Sake Museum
Historic sake museum in Kyoto's Fushimi brewing district with exhibits, brewery tours and a tasting corner.
2026/07/05 09:30 KyotoPaid admission including a tasting; open 9:30-16:30 (last entry 16:00). Cashless from July 2026.
© Makoragi · CC BY 4.0OfficialPast eventKyoto International Community Events
The Kyoto International Community House hosts cultural exchange events, language cafes and workshops for visitors and residents.
2026/07/05 14:00 KyotoMany events free or low-cost; some workshops ticketed
© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0OfficialPast eventCLUB METRO
Kyoto's most respected basement live house and nightclub, running an all-genre program from techno and house to live bands since 1990.
2026/07/10 22:00 KyotoDoor price varies by event; many nights ¥2,000–¥3,500 with one drink.
© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0
JmtyPast eventFree Pickleball Exchange Meetup (Kyotanabe)
A free, all-ages pickleball gathering near Odo Station bringing students, staff and locals together to play and connect across generations.
2026/07/12 10:00 KyotoFree
© pickle · via jmty
OfficialPast eventGion Matsuri (Yamaboko Junko Float Procession)
Kyoto's grandest festival fills July with towering wooden floats, lantern-lit evening parties, and 1,100 years of tradition.
2026/07/17 09:00 KyotoFree
© Corpse Reviver · CC BY 3.0
OfficialPast eventToji Temple Kobo-ichi Market
On the 21st of every month, nearly 1,000 stalls fill the grounds of UNESCO-listed Toji Temple with street food, antiques, pickles and crafts beneath its great pagoda.
2026/07/21 08:00 KyotoFree
© Globetrotter19 · CC BY-SA 3.0connpassPast eventGDG Kyoto
Kyoto's Google Developer Group runs monthly study sessions and hackathons on Android, Flutter, AI/ML and Cloud.
2026/07/25 13:00 KyotoFree
© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0
OfficialPast eventNishijin Textile Center Kimono Experience
At the home of Kyoto's 1,200-year Nishijin weaving tradition, dress in one of 150+ komon kimono — footwear and underthings included — and stroll the old capital in style.
2026/08/01 10:00 KyotoKomon kimono ¥4,950 (outdoor) / ¥3,850 (indoor); reservation required
© Pitke · CC BY 3.0