OfficialOn now© Chainwit. · CC BY-SA 4.0Japan'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.
OfficialUpcoming© Henxter · CC BY-SA 4.0UNESCO-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
OfficialUpcoming© Corpse Reviver · CC BY-SA 3.0A 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
OfficialUpcoming© ja:User:Si-take. · CC BY-SA 3.0Men 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
OfficialUpcoming© Joi (Joi Ito) · CC BY 2.0Kyoto'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.
OfficialUpcoming© Suicasmo · CC BY-SA 4.0Kyoto'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
OfficialUpcoming© Takeshi Kuboki · CC BY 2.0Kyoto's Arashiyama bursts into crimson and gold each November, with mountain temples, a scenic train and bamboo groves.
2026/11/15 08:00 KyotoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Marianne North · Public domainSeventeen 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)
OfficialUpcoming© Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert · CC BY-SA 4.0Kyoto'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
OfficialUpcoming© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0Kyoto'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
OfficialUpcoming© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0Kyoto Marathon 2027 runs on Sunday, February 21, 2027, starting at Takebishi Stadium Kyoto in Nishikyogoku at 9:00 a.m. and finishing in front of Heian-jingu Shrine, with a field of 16,000.
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. (Fees per the official race guidelines, as of September 18, 2026.)
OfficialUpcoming© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0KYOTOGRAPHIE 2027 runs 17 April to 16 May 2027, its 15th edition. The dates are confirmed on the official site; the theme, artist line-up, venue list and 2027 ticket prices are not yet announced. For reference, the 2026 all-venue Passport was ¥5,500 in advance (¥3,000 for students) and single-venue tickets ran ¥800–¥1,500, with under-15s free.
2027/04/17 10:00 Kyoto2027 prices are not yet announced (as of September 2026). For reference, the 2026 edition priced the all-venue Passport at ¥5,500 in advance and ¥5,800 online / ¥6,000 paper during the festival, with a ¥3,000 student Passport; single-venue tickets ran ¥800–¥1,500 (student ¥400–¥800), an Express Passport was ¥15,000, and children under 15 entered free. Some programmes are free.
OfficialUpcoming© Oilstreet · CC BY 2.5A 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
OfficialUpcoming© Marie-Sophie Mejan · CC BY 4.0A 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
OfficialUpcoming© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0Japan'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.
OfficialPast event© Conveyor belt sushi · CC BY 2.0Gion'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
OfficialPast event© BLM Nevada · CC BY-SA 2.0Some 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).
OfficialPast event© Mitchwandrew · CC BY 4.0Walk a luminous path through towering bamboo in Kyoto's Arashiyama, where filtered light and rustling stalks feel otherworldly.
2026/06/26 07:00 KyotoFree
OfficialPast event© Atticus nguyen · CC BY-SA 4.0Learn 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
OfficialPast event© Auckland Museum Collections from Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand · CC BY 2.0Dress 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
OfficialPast event© Umio · CC BY-SA 4.0Tour 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
OfficialPast event© Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 2.5Learn 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
OfficialPast event© 663highland · CC BY 2.5Stroll 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
OfficialPast event© M Disdero · CC BY-SA 2.5Train 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)
OfficialPast event© Tom Parker · Public domainThrow 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
OfficialPast event© Joi (Joi Ito) · CC BY 2.0A 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).
OfficialPast event© Yu Morita from Tokyo, Japan · CC BY-SA 2.0A 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)
OfficialPast event© Sergiy Galyonkin · CC BY-SA 2.0Kyoto's most atmospheric nightlife lane — a narrow lantern-lit alley of riverside restaurants, sake bars and traditional teahouses.
2026/07/01 18:00 KyotoFree
OfficialPast event© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0Kyoto'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
OfficialPast event© Evan-Amos · Public domainNintendo'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
JmtyPast event© Edge place（エッヂプレイス） · via jmtyA 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)
OfficialPast event© Makoragi · CC BY 4.0Historic 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.
OfficialPast event© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0The 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
OfficialPast event© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0Kyoto'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.
JmtyPast event© pickle · via jmtyA 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
OfficialPast event© Corpse Reviver · CC BY 3.0Kyoto'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
OfficialPast event© Globetrotter19 · CC BY-SA 3.0On 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
connpassPast event© Jean-Pierre Dalbéra · CC BY 2.0Kyoto's Google Developer Group runs monthly study sessions and hackathons on Android, Flutter, AI/ML and Cloud.
2026/07/25 13:00 KyotoFree
OfficialPast event© Pitke · CC BY 3.0At 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
OfficialPast event© Lonely Planet Japan · CC BY-SA 4.0Around 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
OfficialPast event© New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General · CC BY 4.0Thousands 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
OfficialPast event© ja:User:Kyoto-u · CC BY 2.5Giant 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
OfficialPast event© Mariemon at jp Wikipedia · CC BY 3.0Kyoto'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)