OfficialOn now© Qiuqizhenghong · CC BY-SA 3.0Sapporo Autumn Fest
A three-week harvest food festival in Odori Park celebrating Hokkaido's bounty — fresh seafood, ramen, sweets, wine and local produce.
2026/09/11 10:00 SapporoFree
When
Date
Theme
OfficialOn now© Qiuqizhenghong · CC BY-SA 3.0OfficialUpcoming© Qiuqizhenghong · CC BY-SA 3.0Sapporo White Illumination 2026: Opens 19 Nov, Dates by Venue
**Sapporo White Illumination 2026 (46th edition) opens on Thursday 19 November 2026.** Odori stays lit to 24 December, Ekimae-dori to 10 February 2027, and Minami-1-jo-dori, Akapla and the Station South Exit plaza to 13 March 2027. Free to view, with a new Nakajima Park venue added for 2026.
2026/11/19 16:30 SapporoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Inlet Masu · CC BY-SA 3.0Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival 2027: 30 Jan–23 Feb, Fees
The 2027 Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival runs 30 January to 23 February, open 10:00–20:00 (official). Sculptors spray the clear blue waters of Lake Shikotsu onto frames to build towering turquoise ice domes and tunnels, glowing in jewel tones after dark.
2027/01/30 10:00 SapporoAdmission (cooperation fee): ¥1,000 for junior-high age and over on weekdays, ¥3,000 at weekends and on public holidays; free for elementary-school children and younger (official, as of 2026-09-18)
OfficialUpcoming© Senior Chief Petty Officer Ryan Delcore (U.S. Navy) · Public domainSapporo Snow Festival 2027: Dates, the Three Sites & How to Get There
Sapporo Snow Festival 2027: confirmed Feb 4–11 dates, the three free sites (Odori, Susukino, Tsudome), and how to get there from New Chitose Airport.
2027/02/04 10:00 SapporoFree
OfficialUpcoming© 欅 (Keyaki) · CC BY-SA 3.0Otaru Snow Light Path Festival 2027
The 2027 edition runs 6–13 February (Otaru Tourism Association, announced 9 June 2026). Otaru's historic canal and old rail line glow with thousands of hand-lit snow lanterns and floating candles for eight winter nights.
2027/02/06 SapporoFree
OfficialUpcoming© 京浜にけ · CC BY 3.0Asahikawa Winter Festival 2027: 6–11 February (68th)
The 68th Asahikawa Winter Festival runs 6–11 February 2027 (official). Hokkaido's second-biggest snow fest pairs colossal stage-sized snow sculptures by the Ishikari River with an international ice-carving championship.
2027/02/06 SapporoFree
OfficialUpcoming© Qiuqizhenghong · CC BY-SA 3.0Sapporo Lilac Festival 2027
Some 400 lilac trees burst into bloom in Odori Park, with a lilac wine garden and outdoor music marking the start of the northern spring.
2027/05/19 10:00 SapporoFree
OfficialPast event© Kinori · Public DomainSapporo Snow Festival
Hokkaido's winter wonderland: giant snow and ice sculptures fill Odori Park, drawing over two million visitors each February.
2026/02/04 10:00 SapporoFree
OfficialPast event© Diego Molla · CC BY-SA 3.0Otaru Snow Light Path Festival
Otaru's historic canal and old streets glow with thousands of candles in snow lanterns, a quiet, romantic counterpoint to Sapporo's snow festival.
2026/02/13 17:00 SapporoFree
OfficialPast event© OKJaguar · CC BY-SA 4.0Yosakoi Soran Festival
Sapporo erupts in color as thousands of dancers perform high-energy yosakoi routines through the streets each June.
2026/06/10 10:00 SapporoFree
OfficialPast event© pelican from Tokyo, Japan · CC BY-SA 2.0Nijo Market
Sapporo's 125-year-old fish market in the heart of downtown: crab legs, sea-urchin, salmon roe and steaming kaisen-don bowls from morning to early evening.
2026/07/01 08:00 SapporoFree
OfficialPast event© Qiuqizhenghong · CC BY-SA 3.0Precious Hall
A Sapporo underground institution (25+ years) renowned for one of Japan's finest sound systems — deep house and techno.
2026/07/01 22:00 SapporoEntry varies by event (roughly ¥2,500–4,000)
OfficialPast event© Benford Choi · CC BY-SA 3.0Furano Lavender Season at Farm Tomita 2026
Rolling purple lavender fields perfume the Hokkaido hills at Japan's most iconic flower farm, framed by distant snow-capped peaks.
2026/07/10 08:30 SapporoFree
OfficialPast event© 禁樹なずな · Public domainSapporo Odori Beer Garden
Japan's largest outdoor beer garden takes over Odori Park each summer, with rival breweries pouring ice-cold draft under the open sky.
2026/07/21 12:00 SapporoFree
OfficialPast event© Qiuqizhenghong · CC BY-SA 3.0Penny Lane 24
Sapporo's iconic ~500-capacity rock live house, host to legendary domestic and international acts since 1990.
2026/07/22 18:30 SapporoTicket price varies by show.
OfficialPast event© Qiuqizhenghong · CC BY-SA 3.0Otaru Ushio Festival 2026
Otaru's biggest summer festival fills the port with the mass 'Shio Nerikomi' dance and a closing fireworks display.
2026/07/24 11:00 SapporoFree
connpassPast event© Qiuqizhenghong · CC BY-SA 3.0Sapporo Engineer Base
Hokkaido's broad, cross-stack engineering community runs hybrid meetups to help Sapporo's developers gather, grow and connect.
2026/07/28 19:00 SapporoFree
OfficialPast event© K. Takeda at Japanese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art
Central Sapporo's flagship art museum, with 5,000+ works spanning Hokkaido art, the Ecole de Paris, glasswork and modern Japanese painting.
2026/08/16 09:30 SapporoCollection admission modest; special exhibitions vary
OfficialPast event© Qiuqizhenghong · CC BY-SA 3.0Hokkaido Marathon 2026
Japan's only major summer full marathon starts and finishes at Odori Park, using stretches of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic route.
2026/08/30 08:30 SapporoSpectating free; runner entry opens in late March 2026.
OfficialPast event© Mugu-shisai · CC BY-SA 3.0Sound Lab mole
An underground live house and club beneath Tanukikoji, a pillar of Sapporo's scene hosting both touring bands and DJ nights.
2026/09/12 18:00 SapporoTicket/door price varies by live or club event