Sapporo in August 2025: Highlights, Events & Festivals
Sapporo, located in northern Japan, is a city where you can enjoy summer relatively cool and comfortable, with an average temperature of about 22°C. It's popular as a summer resort, and Sapporo in August 2025 will be bustling with many tourists.
Sapporo is perfect for both locals and tourists from afar. There are various attractions including famous spots like the Clock Tower, rich nature, and exceptional food. The cuisine is particularly famous for vegetables and fruits grown on vast lands and abundant seafood.
August 2025 in Sapporo offers numerous events where you can experience authentic "Japanese summer." Below are the highlights, basic information, dates, and access details for these exciting Sapporo events.
If You Visit Sapporo in August 2025, Enjoy Japanese Summer Traditions!
Japanese summer is festival season!
Summer festivals are frequently featured in anime and manga. Many people imagine touring food stalls in yukata (summer kimono), gazing at fireworks illuminating the night sky, or joining in Bon-odori (a traditional Japanese dance where everyone circles around a wooden tower).
Summer festivals, fireworks, and Bon-odori are iconic symbols of Japanese summer. For Japanese people, these are essential summer experiences enjoyed throughout the country.
Since you're visiting Sapporo in August 2025, why not experience these quintessential summer traditions that can only be enjoyed during this special time, rather than just the year-round tourist attractions?
Bankei Summer Festival Grand Fireworks Show
Source:Official website
The Bankei Summer Festival is an event where you can fully immerse yourself in the essence of Japanese summer festivals. Enjoy various activities including music performances, street fairs, and spectacular fireworks.
The highlight of this Sapporo event is the fireworks show featuring 7,500 fireworks. Launched from nearby, you'll experience powerful fireworks almost directly overhead. A spacious grass area serves as the viewing zone where you can lie down and look up. When lying down, you'll even feel the vibrations of the fireworks through the ground, creating an incredibly immersive experience. You can also sit on the grass enjoying beer while watching the fireworks. Beer tastes even more delicious while watching beautiful fireworks, and fireworks appear even more beautiful while sipping beer!
Recommended for:
People who want to experience powerful fireworks up close
<Information>
Date: To be announced
(In 2024, it was held on August 3rd (Saturday) 13:00-21:00)
Access: Direct bus from Maruyama Park Station, Hassamu-minami Station, Makomanai Station on the Tozai Subway Line
(Return buses only available to Maruyama Park Station)
Free with festival tickets
Admission: Adults (junior high school students and above) 5,200 yen
Elementary school students 3,200 yen
Preschool children Free
Advance tickets only
Website: https://www.bankei.co.jp/hanabitaikai2024/
Tomakomai Port Festival - Tomamin Tomakomai Hundred-Year Fireworks
Source:WEATHER NEWS
The Tomakomai Port Festival is another spectacular August 2025 Sapporo event featuring stage performances, citizen dances, carnival activities, and marching festivals.
The citizen dance is a Japanese-style parade performed by locals. Each group presents unique and powerful performances. You'll even have opportunities to join the dance yourself! Joining locals in this traditional activity offers an authentic Japanese festival experience.
On the second day, fireworks illuminate the sea. The moment when continuous fireworks launch is especially breathtaking - the entire sky becomes covered with explosions of color while the dark sea gleams with their reflections, creating a unique spectacle you can't see elsewhere.
Recommended for:
- People who want to participate in traditional Japanese dances
- Those who want to experience the unique beauty of fireworks over water
<Information>
Date: August 1 (Friday) - August 3 (Sunday), 2025
(In 2024, fireworks were on the second day starting at 19:30)
Access: 15 minutes walking from Tomakomai Station on the JR Muroran Main Line
Admission: Free
Website: https://www.city.tomakomai.hokkaido.jp/kankojoho/event/minatomatsuri/
Small Hometown Building "Tanabata Evening" Fireworks Show
Source:Official website
"Tanabata Evening" is a family-friendly Sapporo event in August 2025 with numerous activities and booths where children can play and have fun.
The festival features kids' dance performances and candy-throwing events. At experience booths, children can play with snow from a small snow mountain, craft Japanese-style lanterns, launch pet bottle rockets, and enjoy various other activities. Regardless of age, gender, or interests, every child will find something exciting to try.
While the festival includes launched fireworks, I especially recommend trying handheld fireworks. The magical moment when everyone gathers to watch the sparkling flames is a cherished summer memory for many Japanese people. Don't miss this authentic experience!
Recommended for:
- Families with children
- People who want to enjoy both launched and handheld fireworks
<Information>
Date: To be announced
(In 2024, it was August 3 (Saturday) from 14:00
Fireworks started at 20:00)
Access: [Access information not provided in original text]
Admission: Free
Website: https://www.town.niseko.lg.jp/information/10961/
Iwanai Dotou Festival Fireworks Show
Source:Official website
The Iwanai Dotou Festival is a community-based celebration that offers an authentic local experience. The highlight is the food stalls run by locals, where popular Iwanai restaurants serve their signature and bestselling dishes. Enjoying Iwanai cuisine outdoors in the festive atmosphere is absolutely exquisite. Seafood items like grilled scallops are especially recommended. While exploring the stalls, you'll experience the warm hospitality of rural Japan.
Another spectacular feature is the impressive fireworks show with 5,000 fireworks. This display features numerous large shell fireworks, each launch delivering powerful visual impact. When planning your Sapporo Event August 2025 itinerary, this nearby festival should be at the top of your list for experiencing traditional Japanese summer celebrations.
Recommended for:
- People who want to enjoy powerful large shell fireworks
- Those seeking to participate in a traditional, authentic local festival
Information:
- Schedule: To be determined
(In 2024, it was August 3-4; Fireworks show: 20:00-20:30)
- Access: [By train] Approximately 90 minutes from JR Otaru Station via Hokkaido Central Bus (Express Iwanai to Iwanai), get off at Iwanai Bus Terminal stop, 5-minute walk
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://www.iwanai-kanko.jp/news/detail.html?id=1494
Mikasa Hokkai Bon Odori Cooling Fireworks Festival
Source:WEATHER NEWS
The main attraction of the Mikasa Hokkai Bon Odori Cooling Fireworks Festival is the Bon dance. Everyone dances together to traditional Japanese music around a 10-meter-high yagura (wooden tower stage).
This special Bon dance is unique to this region and is treasured by locals as an important tradition. At this festival, you can not only watch but also participate in the Bon dance. Don't worry if you're a beginner - the dance features slow-paced, simple movements that are easy to learn. Just observe others and join in!
The festival concludes with a breathtaking fireworks display. The combination of the illuminated yagura and colorful fireworks creates a magical atmosphere. The sense of community formed from dancing together makes watching the fireworks feel like you're among friends. This cultural experience is expected to be a highlight of the Sapporo Event August 2025 season for tourists seeking authentic Japanese traditions.
Recommended for:
- People who want to enjoy fireworks alongside local cultural traditions
Information:
- Schedule: To be determined
(In 2024, it was August 13-15; Fireworks show: August 15, 21:00-21:30)
- Access: [By train] About 25 minutes from JR Iwamizawa Station via Central Bus (to Ikushunbetsu), get off at Mikasa Civic Hall stop, 5-minute walk
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://www.city.mikasa.hokkaido.jp/eventcal/detail/00006732.html (2023)
Kitamura Country Festival Numakami Consecutive Fireworks Festival
Source:WEATHER NEWS
The Kitamura Country Festival offers both traditional Japanese experiences and unique attractions you won't find anywhere else.
This festival features numerous traditional Japanese stalls where you can enjoy festival foods like chocolate-covered bananas and yakisoba noodles. You can also try classic festival games like goldfish scooping (using a delicate paper net) and shooting games. The spacious venue allows you to enjoy these activities without being overwhelmed by crowds.
The festival also hosts distinctive events found nowhere else in the world, such as the "World Cup" (a competition to break water balloons) and the "World Numakami Raft Crossing Race" (a speed competition crossing on rafts).
The festival concludes with a spectacular fireworks display featuring 2,000 fireworks launched in rapid succession. This lesser-known gem is worth including in your Sapporo Event August 2025 travel plans for a more authentic and less crowded festival experience.
Recommended for:
- People who want to leisurely enjoy Japanese festival stalls
- Those excited about participating in unique, one-of-a-kind events
Information:
- Schedule: 3rd Saturday of every year
(In 2024, the fireworks show was 20:00-20:30)
- Access: [By train] About 20 minutes from JR Iwamizawa Station via Central Bus (to Tsukigata or Kitamura), get off at Kitamura Onsen-mae stop, immediate walk
- Admission: Free
- Website: https://www.city.iwamizawa.hokkaido.jp/soshiki/kankobussanshinkoka/sankasuru/2336.html
Rusutsu Resort Summer Vacation Special Fireworks Display
Source:PR TIMES
Rusutsu Resort is a comprehensive resort complex with various facilities including an amusement park, golf course, and hotels, where you can enjoy numerous activities such as horseback riding, kayaking, and fishing. Here, to conclude a memorable summer day, a special fireworks display of approximately 1,200 fireworks is held.
The fireworks here are computer-controlled, and while showcasing traditional Japanese techniques, they also have a futuristic feel, with a sense of coordination that is captivating. I particularly love how the large fireworks bloom in the sky, weaving between the linear fireworks that shoot out as if drawing lines across the night sky.
Recommended for:
- People who want to enjoy elaborate, futuristic fireworks
- People who want to conclude a full day of resort activities with fireworks
<Information>
Dates: July 26 (Sat), August 2 (Sat), August 9 (Sat) - 16 (Sat), August 23 (Sat), 2025
Access: [By Train] Take the free reservation-only shuttle bus from the boarding location near JR Sapporo Station (Kamori Building 3) to the final stop
Admission: Free viewing
(※Entry to Rusutsu Resort requires accommodation or purchase of tickets: Resort pass, Amusement park pass, Mt. Yotei Gondola round-trip pass, or Outdoor pool pass)
Website: https://rusutsu.com/events/summer-fireworks/
The "Maze of Light" at Rusutsu Resort is also fantastically recommended
Source:PR TIMES
When visiting Rusutsu Resort, you would be missing out if you didn't also visit the Maze of Light. This is a giant maze made of illuminations where you explore walls of glowing light. The attractive point is that you can enjoy the feeling of being surrounded by illuminations with lights shining in every direction. While walking through the beautiful illuminations, you'll reach the goal before you know it.
The hotel introduces different ways to enjoy the maze, such as racing through with friends or walking leisurely with family, but my recommendation is definitely the latter. Throughout the maze, there are spots that make you want to take photos. My suggestion is to walk around slowly taking pictures with family or friends. Of course, having a time race with friends in the fantastical light is also guaranteed to become a wonderful memory.
The enjoyment of nighttime Sapporo, especially during the Sapporo Event August 2025 season, isn't limited to fireworks and festivals. Japanese people love drinking at "izakaya." An "izakaya" is a place with an atmosphere that mixes a pub and restaurant, perfect for gathering and enjoying drinks together.
Susukino is famous for having many "izakaya." This tour allows you to experience Susukino's nightlife while visiting three izakayas.
On this tour, you can enjoy three drinks and 3-4 dishes. It's packed with flavors that can only be tasted in the gourmet city of Sapporo, such as fresh seafood caught in the nearby cold sea, beef and lamb raised on vast lands, and delicious alcohol made from clean water.
If you want to enjoy Sapporo nights to 120%, please join this guided tour.
<Tour Details>
- Meeting point: Under the giant NIKKA Sign outside of Susukino station
- Tour area: Susukino
- Start time: 18:00
Sky Art Night Sapporo
Source:HOKKAIDO LOVE!
Sky Art Night Sapporo is a fireworks display where you can enjoy a fantastic time created by sound and light. Last year, many pale-colored and thin-lined fireworks were launched, and I felt both power and a sense of delicacy and fleeting beauty. Additionally, the collaboration with lights illuminating the ground and sky boasts exceptional beauty. In particular, the lights emit a fantastical glow when combined with the fireworks smoke.
This festival offers early arrival benefits such as discount tickets and participation in raffles for luxurious prizes. Since stages and food trucks can be enjoyed from early hours, it's also recommended to come early to avoid crowds and enjoy the festival.
Recommended for:
- People who want to enjoy the fantastical collaboration of lights and fireworks illuminating the ground and sky
<Information>
Dates: To be determined
(In 2024, it was held on August 24 (Sat) 15:00~
※Fireworks from 19:30~)
Access: Shuttle bus available from Subway Maruyama Park Station Platform 3
Admission: Junior high school students and above: 6,600 yen
Children 4 years old to junior high school: 4,950 yen
Under 4 years old: Free
Website: https://moula.jp/LP/skyartnight/
FIREWORKS illusion - Iwamizawa Park Fireworks Festival
Source:WEATHER NEWS
The Iwamizawa Park Fireworks Festival is characterized by its continuous high-tempo fireworks launches, boasting one of the highest launch rates in all of Japan. In 2024, an impressive 5,500 fireworks were launched in just 30 minutes. When captivated by the endless stream of fireworks being launched one after another, you might even forget to breathe. The sight of the sky becoming so filled with fireworks that hardly any dark space remains will become one of your unforgettable travel memories.
One of the most attractive features of this fireworks festival is its collaboration with an amusement park. The spectacle of fireworks rising behind roller coasters is something rarely seen elsewhere, enhancing the excited feeling of the experience.
If you're planning to visit Sapporo in August 2025, this nearby fireworks display should definitely be on your itinerary!
Recommended for:
People who want to enjoy powerful, high-tempo fireworks
Information:
- Schedule: To be determined
(In 2024, it was held on August 24
Fireworks from 20:00)
- Access: [By train] Approximately 20 minutes by Central Bus Iwamizawa Park Line from JR Iwamizawa Station, 2-minute walk from Greenland bus stop
- Admission: Adults 1,000 yen
Children 500 yen
- Website: https://iwamizawa-park.com/
Fighters Super Fireworks Festival
Source:Official website
Finally, we introduce the "Fighters Super Fireworks Festival" held at the home stadium of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, a Japanese professional baseball team based in Hokkaido. This dome features a massive retractable roof, allowing visitors to enjoy fireworks launched from an adjacent high school while watching from inside the dome with its roof open.
The greatest appeal of this fireworks festival is the opportunity to view the fireworks from the baseball field itself. The experience of watching fireworks from a venue where professional baseball games are played is incredibly special and exciting.
This fireworks festival is scheduled for August 2025 in Sapporo and takes place after a game against the "Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks." We recommend cheering for the Fighters alongside local fans and enjoying the fireworks while feeling a sense of community.
Recommended for:
- People who want the special experience of watching fireworks from a professional baseball field
- Those who want to enjoy fireworks amid the excitement following a game
Information:
- Date: August 24, 2025 (Sunday)
- Access: [By train] 19-minute walk or approximately 5 minutes by bus from JR Kitahiroshima Station. About 25 minutes by bus from JR Shin-Sapporo Station
- Admission: Ground Area A: Ticket price + 2,000 yen
Ground Area B: Ticket price + 1,500 yen
Free viewing is also possible
- Website: https://www.fighters.co.jp/news/detail/202500678800.html
Participate in Sapporo's Largest Event "2025 Sapporo Summer Festival"!
If you're visiting Sapporo, you definitely shouldn't miss the "2025 Sapporo Summer Festival." This event is a magnificent celebration combining four festivals held throughout Sapporo, designed to make the most of Sapporo's brief summer season. The Sapporo Event August 2025 will be an unforgettable experience for all visitors, showcasing the city's vibrant culture and traditions.
Here, I'll introduce the four events that make up the summer festival.
Welfare-Sponsored Sapporo Odori Beer Garden
Source:Sapporo Tourist Association
This event is Japan's largest beer garden, featuring six beer gardens appearing in Odori Park. It's an incredibly popular event that offers over 9,000 seats.
The event includes six venues: four venues provided by Japan's major beer companies, one venue featuring beers from around the world, and one venue gathering beers from Munich, Germany—Sapporo's sister city that also hosts the world's largest beer festival.
My top recommendation is to tour all six beer gardens and enjoy the different tastes of beer.
Each of the six venues also serves gourmet foods that pair well with beer. There's a wide variety of flavors unique to this Sapporo event, including Hokkaido chicken and Genghis Khan (grilled lamb).
<Information>
Dates: July 18 (Fri), 2025 - August 13 (Wed), 2025
Access: Toozai Line, Namboku Line, Toho Line, Odori Station, Exits 2, 5, 6, 8, 27 (immediate access)
Entrance fee: Free
Website: https://www.sapporo.travel/summerfes/event/#beer-garden
Susukino Festival
Source:Sapporo Tourist Association
The "Susukino Festival" is an event where you can enjoy various performances and diverse festival foods. Performances include traditional Japanese taiko drumming and mikoshi parades (carrying portable shrines shaped like small houses believed to transport deities through the streets), allowing you to experience the beauty and passion of Japanese traditions.
A performance unique to the "Susukino Festival" is the "Oiran-dochu (procession of courtesans)." Oiran (ladies of pleasure) with heavy white makeup and their attendants dressed in gorgeous costumes parade through the night streets. The extraordinarily high shoes that make walking difficult are also a feature of this event. This recreates customs that actually took place in Japan several hundred years ago. Please enjoy the feeling of traveling back in time.
<Information>
Dates: August 7 (Thu), 2025 - August 9 (Sat), 2025
Access: 1-minute walk from Susukino Station on the Namboku Line
5-minute walk from Toyosu Susukino Station on the Toho Line
Entrance fee: Free
Website: https://www.sapporo.travel/summerfes/event/susukino/
Hokkai Bon Dance
Source:Sapporo Tourist Association
The Hokkai Bon Dance is a traditional bon dance widely spread throughout Hokkaido and loved by many people. During the "Sapporo Summer Festival," it is grandly held as the finale event. It's a very internationally diverse event that attracts many participants not only from Japan but also from overseas.
This bon dance is performed to live music played on traditional Japanese instruments with live singing. Being able to enjoy both traditional Japanese music and dance simultaneously is also an attractive point.
As mentioned above, bon dance is characterized by simple choreography repeated many times. Even beginners can quickly learn to dance enjoyably by following others. I'm very poor at dancing, but I can enjoy bon dancing. Please don't think it looks difficult and feel free to participate. This highlight of the Sapporo Event August 2025 welcomes everyone!
<Information>
Dates: To be determined (In 2024, it was held from August 11 (Sun/Holiday) to August 16 (Fri))
Access: Toozai Line, Namboku Line, Toho Line, Odori Station, Exits 2, 5, 6, 8, 27 (immediate access)
Entrance fee: Free
Website: https://www.sapporo.travel/summerfes/event/odori02/
Tanuki Festival
Source:Sapporo Tourist Association
Various events are held in the Tanukikoji Shopping Street during the Tanuki Festival.
This shopping street has a shrine called Honjin-tanuki-daimyoujinja dedicated to tanuki (raccoon dogs), and the shopping district's mascot is also a tanuki. During the Tanuki Festival period, religious ceremonies such as mikoshi processions are held for the tanuki, the guardian deity of the area. The sight of everyone coming together to carry the mikoshi is very powerful. There's also a small mikoshi carried only by children, which is very cute.
A special night bargain sale that occurs only once a year is also held during the festival period. Please visit for shopping as you can enjoy special sales items and food stalls.
Another highlight is the large tanuki looking down at customers from the ceiling of the shopping street during the festival period.
<Information>
Dates: July 18 (Fri), 2025 - August 16 (Sat), 2025
Access: 5-minute walk from Odori Station on the Namboku Line, Toozai Line, and Toho Line
3-minute walk from Susukino Station on the Namboku Line
1-minute walk from Tanukikoji on the Sapporo City Tram
Entrance fee: Free
Website: https://www.sapporo.travel/summerfes/event/tanukikoji/
The Locally Beloved "Hokkaido Marathon 2025" is Highly Recommended for Sapporo Event August 2025
Source:Sapporo Tourist Association
The "Hokkaido Marathon 2025" is an event that attracts runners from both inside and outside Japan and is Japan's only large-scale summer marathon event.
Anyone who is 19 years of age or older on the day of the event and can complete a full marathon within 6 hours can participate.
The biggest attraction of this marathon is that you can run on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic marathon course. Being able to see the same scenery as the Olympians you watched on TV is undoubtedly a valuable experience.
Some might be worried as it will be a hot summer event, but various measures are in place to ensure you can run the marathon safely. In fact, unique features like Japan's longest water station and cooling with snowballs are special measures you can only experience here, making them part of the attraction during this notable Sapporo Event August 2025.
<Information>
Date: August 31 (Sunday)
Access: About 1 minute walk from Sapporo Municipal Subway "Odori" Station
Participation fee: 16,500 yen for domestic participants, 22,000 yen for international participants
Including 200 yen for charity
Website: https://hokkaido-marathon.com/
If You Visit Japan in July, Try Bar Hopping While Feeling the Refreshing Breeze in Tokyo
You can take a direct flight from Sapporo to Tokyo, the capital of Japan. Why not extend your trip to Tokyo while you're at it?
Finally, I would like to introduce two tours where you can bar hop in the streets of Tokyo at night while feeling the pleasant evening breeze.
Tokyo Bar Hopping Night Tour in Shinjuku
Shinjuku is one of Japan's leading entertainment districts. On this tour, you can enjoy Shinjuku's nightlife by visiting 3 izakayas (Japanese pubs) over 3.5 hours. This tour was also a very popular tour that ranked No. 1 on Tripadvisor, a major travel site, in 2024.
This tour includes 3 standard Japanese drinking party dishes, enough to fill your stomach, and all-you-can-drink alcohol (only at the second venue; the first and third venues offer 2 drinks and 1 drink respectively). This tour is recommended for those who want to enjoy food and alcohol to their satisfaction.
I also participated in this tour, and what left the biggest impression on me was comparing different types of sake at the all-you-can-drink place.
<Tour Details>
Meeting point: In front of Black pillar (Next to Uniqlo Shinjuku Nishiguchi shop)
Tour area: Around Shinjuku
Start time: 17:00, 17:30, 18:00, 18:30, 19:00
Shibuya Bar Hopping Night Tour in Tokyo
On this tour, you can enjoy Japanese drinking culture while visiting 3 izakayas in Shibuya.
This tour visits 3 izakayas, but the main highlight is the meat alley. Here, various meat dishes are served, including the famous wagyu beef. You can choose from more than 30 guide-recommended dishes to try the ones that interest you.
If you tell the guide your preferences, they will recommend dishes that are perfect for you. By the way, my recommendation is meat sushi.
This tour is a must-see for people who "like meat."
Vegetarian menus are also available, so vegetarians can participate with peace of mind. The time spent experiencing Japanese izakaya culture with a local guide will undoubtedly be a valuable experience.
<Tour Details>
• Meeting point: In front of the floor to ceiling windows under SHIBUYA TSUTAYA sign
• Tour area: Shibuya
• Start time: 18:00, 19:00