music festivals Archives

You're spoiled for choice if you're looking for international concerts in Japan this year. With household names like Mariah Carey and lesser-known artists like Black Country, New Road, there's something for everyone right into winter. On top of that, there are a bunch of awesome music festivals to head to. Check out some of our top picks below. June Here are the best concerts in Japan this June: Valley June 3—5 Bigcat (Osaka), Club Quattro (Nagoya), Zepp Divercity (Tokyo) Canadian indie pop outfit Valley will return to the country for three shows in June. Last visiting for a sold-out stand-alone performance in 2023, this will be their first official tour of the country and, with the departure of lead guitarist Mickey Brandolino last year, their first visit as a trio. The run of shows will mark the release of their latest effort Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden and just over 10 years since the release of the band’s debut EP Car Test. The latest album has already earned the band their third Juno Award nomination and produced a string of impressive singles, including the hooky title track and the nostalgic When You Know Someone. Tickets Tickets for the Osaka and Nagoya shows are standing-only for . The Tokyo show has standing tickets for and second-floor seated tickets for . Tickets are available via Live Nation Japan. Snarky Puppy June 4 and 5 Zepp Shinjuku (Tokyo) and Umeda Club Quattro (Osaka) Indie/jazz fusion collective Snarky Puppy are doing their thing in Japan for two nights at the start of summer. The five-time Grammy Award-winning group will head to Zepp Shinjuku and Umeda Club Quattro ahead of a highly anticipated live orchestral album due for release later this year. Tickets Tickets for both shows are available via the Creativeman website for . Both shows are all standing. Japanese Breakfast June 11 and 13 Zepp Shinjuku (Tokyo), Club Quattro (Osaka) Fresh off the release of their fourth full-length album, Japanese Breakfast has announced a short June tour of Japan. The latest album For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women) follows on from the release of the highly successful Jubilee as well as a much-discussed Green Stage performance at 2022’s Fuji Rock festival. The latest album has already been met with critical acclaim, and tickets for these shows are anticipated to sell out. Tickets Tickets for both shows are standing-only and are currently available online for via the Smash Japan website. Other concerts in Japan this June A few more international artists for you: June 12 and 13: Inhaler plays in Tokyo and Osaka June 17 – 21: Cory Wong plays in Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo July Who's coming in July? Body Heat With Hudson Mohawke July 5 – Zero-Site Takanawa Gateway Scotland's Hudson Mohawke is heading to Tokyo in July for one of this summer’s most buzz-worthy club events, Body Heat. Body Heat will take place at the transient club space known as Zero-Site in Takanawa Gateway Station, open for only 120 days this spring and summer. In addition to Mohawke, the event will feature DJ ¥OU$UKE ¥UK1MAT$U, coming off the back of his recent viral Boiler Room Tokyo set, as well as a slew of other familiar names like Nosaj Thing, Abiu, Katimi Ai, and Fujimoto Testsuro. Tickets General advance tickets are now on sale for . Any remaining tickets will be available at the door for . Fuji Rock Festival July 25–27 – Naeba Ski Resort, Niigata Japan's premier outdoor music festival returns to Niigata this July. Held at Naeba Ski Resort, Fuji Rock Festival combines stunning nature with some of the biggest names in domestic in international music from the worlds of indie, hip hop, rock, pop, and more. This year features big-name Western headliners like Fred Again.. and Vampire Weekend and Japanese favorites like Yamashita Tatsuro and Radwimps across three nights. Tickets Tickets for Fuji Rock are on sale for between to depending on your age, when you buy, and whether you get a 1-, 2-, or 3-day ticket. Camping and parking tickets are also available if needed. August Here's what to check out. Summer Sonic Festival August 16 and 17 – Zozo Marine Stadium & Makuhari Messe (Chiba) and Expo '70 Commemorative Park (Osaka) Another of Japan's most popular summer music festivals, the legendary Summer Sonic will once again tour Osaka and Tokyo in August. Held simultaneously over two days in both cities, Summer Sonic lineups tend to lean a little heavier than Fuji Rock, but recent years have seen no shortage of big-name pop acts. This year's lineup continues that trend with Alicia Keys and Fall Out Boy headlining, joined by other artists like The Prodigy, Block Party, and Babymetal. Note: The Tokyo and Osaka events differ slightly, so make sure to check before buying tickets. Tickets General release tickets for this year’s events start on May 24 and will cost between for a 1-day ticket and for a 2-day ticket for Tokyo and and for Osaka. Billie Eilish August 16 and 17 – Saitama Super Arena Going up against Summer Sonic, Billie Eilish will be playing back-to-back nights in Saitama on August 16 and 17. The Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour is hitting Japan in support of the artist’s third studio album, which has received universal critical acclaim and won Album of the Year at the American Music Awards. Tickets At the time of publishing, exclusive pre-sale releases had closed, but applications for the first lottery advance tickets are now open. Results of the lottery will likely be announced in mid-June, and remaining ticket categories will be open for general release on a first-come, first-served basis via the HIP Japan website. Other concerts in Japan this August Some extra options: August 15: Sonic Mania will bring The Prodigy, Gesaffelstein, Floating Points, and more to Makuhari Messe in Chiba. September Ultra Japan and more: Tyler, The Creator September 9 and 10 — Ariake Arena (Tokyo) Tyler, The Creator is bringing his huge Chromakopia arena tour to Tokyo in September. Tickets for the first night on September 9 sold out quickly, and a second show on September 10 was recently added. At the time of writing, the Tokyo shows are set to be among the last of the tour, which has already been praised for its setlist, production, and performances. Tickets At the time of writing, only VIP packages remain for the second show on September 10 -- VIP 1 tickets () and VIP 2 tickets (). While details on official resale tickets are not yet available, keep an eye out on the official ticket website for more info. The Get Up Kids September 9—11 Bigcat (Osaka), Liquidroom (Tokyo) In yet another reminder of the relentless passage of time, Kansas City’s The Get Up Kids are also celebrating a major milestone this year. With just over two and a half decades since the release of their quintessential album Something to Write Home About, the Midwest emo pioneers are heading to Japan as part of the album’s 25th-anniversary tour. The tour will make stops at Osaka’s Bigcat and Tokyo’s Liquidroom, where the band will be performing the album in full. Tickets Presale tickets are available via the Smash Japan website. Both performances are standing-only tickets for plus one drink. Ultra Japan September 13 and 14 – Odaiba Ultra Park (Tokyo) This year will mark the 10th installment of Ultra Japan, one of the country's biggest electronic music festivals. Exploding onto the annual festival calendar in 2014, the event hasn’t slowed down since, with last year's lineup seeing the return of Afrojack as well as other headliners including Steve Aoki and Armin Van Buren. Lineup announcements usually drop in three stages, starting around late July. Keep an eye out for more details. Tickets Tickets for Ultra 2025 are already on sale, with the current ticket offerings including general admission, premium general admission, and under-23 access. Head to the official website for more info. The Smashing Pumpkins September 15–25 – Comtec Portabase (Aichi), Nippon Budokan (Tokyo), Zepp Namba (Osaka), Zepp Fukuoka, Hiroshima Bunka Gakuen HBG Hall For the first time in 12 years, American alt-rock legends The Smashing Pumpkins will be gracing our shores this September. Featuring original members Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlain, and James Iha, the band will be playing five shows across the country as part of their current world tour’s Asian leg, entitled Rock Invasion. The tour will coincide with the 30th anniversary of their groundbreaking 1995 album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, which means we’re likely to see a career-spanning set list full of crowd favorites. Tickets Tickets for all shows are broken into two categories, ranging in price from –. The Tokyo show at Nippon Budokan includes A and S ticket categories, which are and respectively. Horsegirl September 16—18 WWWX (Tokyo), Liquidroom (Tokyo), and Banana Hall (Osaka) It’s been a big few years for Chicago trio Horsegirl. Signing to Matador Records in 2021, they released their debut album to massive acclaim the following year and have just released their follow-up, Phonetics On and On. The new release pulls no punches. Produced by Cate Le Bon (Deerhunter, Kurt Vile, Wilco), it sees the further step into their own experimenting with the addition of violin, synth, and gamelan while retaining the elegant simplicity of their earlier releases. Tickets With the Wednesday night show at Liquidroom quickly selling out, another Tokyo show at WWWX on the Tuesday night has been announced. The remaining tickets for Tokyo and Osaka are available for via the Beatink website. Other concerts in Japan this September Some more names to check out: September 12–21: Sting will play shows in Kobe, Tokyo, Nagoya, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka. September 22 and 23: Tommy Emmanuel will play in Osaka and Tokyo. October The big names coming this spooky season: Foo Fighters October 7 and 10 – Saitama Super Arena (Saitama) and GLion Arena (Kobe) Foo Fighters will be hitting up Saitama and Osaka (more specifically Kobe) for their first run of Japanese headline shows in 17 years this October. With a new drummer in tow after the departure of Josh Freese in May, the tour comes off the back of one–off performances in Indonesia and Singapore, and marks somewhat of a comeback tour for the band in general. Tickets The third round of advance lottery applications was open at the time of publishing. General release tickets are on sale from June 21. Saitama has five ticket categories ranging in price from –. Kobe has four categories ranging from –. Oasis October 25 and 26 – Tokyo Dome (Tokyo) In one of the most anticipated tours of 2025, Oasis are heading to Tokyo for two nights on October 25 and 26. "Will there be on-stage tension?" "Will they play Wonderwall?" "Is this whole tour just a massive cash grab?" The answer to these questions and more is (probably) a resounding "yes." If you're late to the party, tickets for both shows are already sold out, BUT "Don't Look Back in Anger" -- an official resale for both shows will be taking place in September. Tickets Tickets for these shows did not last long at all, but if you missed out, mark your diary for midnight on the mornings of September 25 and 26 and make sure you've got a Ticket Pia account for the official resale period. Only non-issued tickets purchased through the Japanese Ticket Pia channels will be eligible for resale, and organizers have made it clear that they can't guarantee access to those who purchase tickets outside of the official Ticket Pia re-release platform. Check this website for more details. Mariah Carey October 28—November 2 — GLion Arena (Kobe), K Arena (Yokohama) It looks like Christmas is coming early this year with a pre-December appearance from Mariah Carey. Emerging from her slumber, she’s taking the stage across three nights to celebrate the 20th anniversary of MIMI, the 25th anniversary of Daydream, and the 30th anniversary of her debut. Carey will perform one night in Kobe and two nights in Yokohama, and tickets are expected to sell out, so make your wish come true and jump on tickets quickly. Tickets Each of the two venues has at least five ticket categories ranging in price from or to . The cheapest tickets at the Kobe performance are A Reserved seats for , with the priciest being Gold Reserved for . A Reserved at the Yokohama shows are a little more affordable at . Other concerts in Japan this October Who else is touring in October? October 13: Swedish Pop Carnival in Tokyo will bring The Cardigans, Cloudberry Jam, and Meja to Tokyo Garden Theater. October 23: The Jesus Lizard will perform at Duo Music Exchange in Shibuya, Tokyo. October 27 – 29: Damiano David from Maneskin will perform in Tokyo and Osaka November Here's what's announced so far for November: Pixies November 2–5 – Gorilla Hall (Osaka) and Ex Theater Roppongi (Tokyo) With a recent lineup change and a new album under their belt, Pixies will play three shows in Japan in November. Since their 2004 reunion, the Boston quartet has been selling out tours all around the world, and with the release of their ninth studio album -- their first with new bassist Emma Richardson -- tickets for the upcoming Japan tour won't last long. Tickets Pixies will play one night in Osaka and two nights in Tokyo, and general sales for all shows started on February 1 via Creativeman. The Osaka venue is all standing (), and the Tokyo shows have standing tickets for and reserved seated tickets for . Travis Scott November 8 — Belluna Dome (Saitama) Travis Scott’s highly anticipated Circus Maximum tour will finally hit Japan this November. Since first kicking off in October 2023, the tour has hit almost 80 cities around the world and is currently set to wrap up in Tokyo after six legs and 84 performances. The stadium show is set to feature primarily tracks from the 2023 album Utopia, which made numerous big-name end-of-year lists and earned the artists Billboard and Grammy award nominations. Tickets With two rounds of exclusive pre-sales already behind us, Live Nation Japan newsletter member and Ticket Pia exclusive presale tickets are set to roll out from April 8 and 11, respectively. If you miss out on these, keep an eye out for an official resale in case one gets announced at a later date. Opeth November 27 and 28 Ex Theater Roppongi (Tokyo) One for the prog rock fans, Sweden’s Opeth are playing two nights in Tokyo this winter. Their first visit to the country in six years, the shows are in support of their 14th studio album The Last Will and Testament, an album that sees the return of vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt’s signature death vocals, much to the joy of many long-time fans. The shows will also be the band’s first in the country with new drummer Waltteri Väyrynen, and will happen on back-to-back nights at Ex Theater in Roppongi. Tickets General advance tickets go on sale for both shows on June 14 for . Both shows open at 6 p.m. and start at 7 p.m. Other concerts in Japan this November Who else have we got? November 11 and 24: Mew will perform their final Japan shows in Osaka and Tokyo. December Here's what's in store for December: Beth Gibbons December 1—3 — Sumida Triphony Hall (Tokyo), Zepp Namba (Osaka) Following up on a moving performance at Fuji Rock last year, Beth Gibbons will undertake her first solo tour of Japan this December. The English singer, best known as the vocalist for Portishead, released her debut solo album in May 2024, earning a Mercury Prize Nomination. The show will take place across three intimate, seated performances, with two shows in Tokyo and one in Osaka. Tickets All shows are seated, with seats at the Tokyo shows ranging from to . The Osaka performance has two ticket categories, S seats for and SS seats for . Tix are available via Smash Japan. Katy Perry December 3 – Saitama Super Arena Katy Perry is heading back to Japan for her first tour stop in 8 years. The one-night-only show will take place at Saitama Super Arena on December 3 to promote her September 2024 release 143. According to promoters, fans can expect to hear crowd favorites as well as new remixes and previously unperformed tracks. Tickets General release tickets are on sale as of June 9 and range in price from for A reserve tickets to for VIP tickets. Franz Ferdinand December 9—11 — Namba Hatch (Osaka), Garden Theater (Tokyo) With the release of their sixth studio album in January, Franz Ferdinand also announced a brief tour of Japan taking place in December. The performances will be their first in Japan in three years and their first in the country with new guitarist Dino Bardot and drummer Audrey Tait. In addition to tracks from the new album, The Human Fear, expect to hear classics like Take Me Out, which surpassed 1 billion Spotify streams earlier this year. Tickets General release tickets for both shows will be available via the Smash website from April 12. Tickets for the Osaka show are standing for and seated for . Tickets for the Tokyo show will be for both seated and standing. Black Country, New Road December 8—10 Bigcat (Osaka), Jammin’ (Nagoya) Ex Theater (Tokyo) Black Country, New Road will return to Japan this December with the release of their latest album Forever Howlong. The upcoming tour follows a memorable and emotionally charged performance at Fuji Rock’s White Stage in 2022 and their debut three-show tour in 2023. The new album, the follow-up to the highly acclaimed 2022 sophomore release, has already been universally praised for its distinctness and spontaneity. Tickets General release tickets for all shows will be available via the Beatink website for from April 26. Other concerts in Japan this December Here are some more picks: December 2 and 3: Soccer Mommy will play at Anima Osaka and Liquidroom Tokyo. January 2026 Some big names coming in January: Lady Gaga January 21–29 – Kyocera Dome (Osaka), Tokyo Dome Osaka and Tokyo will be treated to a run of shows from Lady Gaga in early 2026. The Mayhem Ball world tour will wrap up at the Tokyo Dome after over 6 months and 60 performances, and will mark Gaga’s first dome shows in the country. The performance, which premiered at Coachella in April, has been celebrated as groundbreaking and transformative, with Gaga promising a more intimate, theatrical experience than previous tours. Tickets At the time of publishing, various exclusive presale releases were on sale, such as Mastercard, HIP, and Live Nation member sales. General advance lottery applications will be available between June 18 and 29. Tickets range in price from for B Reserved seats to for VIP Gold seats. Silver and Gold box seats are also available for the Tokyo performances. Other concerts in Japan in January 2026 What else is there? January 1, 2026: Viagra Boys will bring their Infinite Anxiety tour to Tokyo at Shibuya’s Spotify O-East. Frequently asked questions Can I buy resale tickets if the show is sold out? We recommend only buying from official resellers. Some bigger ticketing companies, like ePlus and Ticket Pia, will generally announce official resale tickets if they become available. While unofficial resale sites often have tickets available, tour promoters and official ticket agencies typically have policies against them. Why does the ticket price say “1 drink”? Most shows in Japan, big or small, have a drink ticket policy. This additional cost (usually around ) guarantees bar revenue for the venue and helps to keep costs down for artists and promoters. Can I buy tickets from overseas? Larger events and ticketing agencies usually have a separate link or landing page for customers purchasing tickets from outside Japan, but this is not always the case. What time will the show finish? Gigs in Japan usually start and finish early. For most live shows, you can expect doors to open around 6 p.m. and the performance to begin around 7 p.m. This means that shows are usually finished before the last train so attendees can make it home safely. What is the ticket lottery? You’ll see this for many big shows and festivals. Basically, lotteries are a way to prevent ticket scalping and website overload when shows go on sale. Allowing lottery entries over days or weeks gives fans enough time to enter the lottery comfortably and apply for a limited number of tickets. Most available tickets will generally get picked up during this period, but those who miss out still have a chance when general sales become available. Is Oasis coming to Japan? Yes! They’ll be playing at Tokyo Dome for two nights on October 25 and 26. While we do our best to ensure it’s correct, information is subject to change. The first version of this post was published in August 2023. Last updated in June 2025 by Patrick Balfe.

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