Hokkaido · City guide

What's on in Niseko.

Hokkaido's powder capital, a ski area spread around the Niseko range facing Mount Yotei. Its season is the winter itself: the events that matter here are the snow festivals and winter season across Hokkaido, collected below.

Things to do in Niseko

Across Hokkaido

The calendar for the wider area, from the Hokkaido prefecture listings.

Nov202026

Munich Christmas Market in Sapporo

Sapporo, Hokkaido · Food · Fri 20 Nov to Fri 25 Dec 2026

Sapporo's sister-city Christmas market modelled on Munich's, with German food, Glühwein and craft stalls under the Odori Park illuminations.

Confirmed dates

Nov202026

Sapporo White Illumination

Sapporo, Hokkaido · Illuminations · Fri 20 Nov to Fri 25 Dec 2026

Winter illuminations in central Sapporo, centred on Odori Park, first held in 1981.

Confirmed dates

Dec12026

Hakodate Christmas Fantasy

Hakodate, Hokkaido · Illuminations · Tue 01 to Fri 25 Dec 2026

A giant Christmas tree from Hakodate's sister city Halifax floats in the harbour before the red brick warehouses, lit nightly with fireworks and a soup bar of local restaurants.

Confirmed dates

Dec202026

Furano Kan Kan Mura

Furano, Hokkaido · Snow and winter · Sun 20 Dec 2026 to Sun 28 Feb 2027

A snow and ice village beside the Ningle Terrace cabins, with an ice bar, snow domes, tube slides and around 70,000 lights.

Expected window

Dec202026

Tomamu Ice Village

Shimukappu, Hokkaido · Snow and winter · Sun 20 Dec 2026 to Wed 10 Mar 2027

A night-time village of ice domes at Hoshino Resorts Tomamu, with an ice chapel, ice bar, ice slide and an ice hotel room.

Confirmed dates

Jan162027

Sapporo International Art Festival 2027 (SIAF2027)

Sapporo, Hokkaido · Arts and stage · Sat 16 Jan to Sun 21 Feb 2027

Sapporo's international art festival takes over the snow-covered city from 16 January to 21 February 2027.

Confirmed dates

Jan202027

Jozankei Yukitouro 2027

Sapporo, Hokkaido · Illuminations · Wed 20 Jan to Sun 28 Feb 2027

Jozankei Onsen's winter light event at Jozankei Shrine, relaunched for 2027 with new lighting concepts in place of the snow candles.

Confirmed dates

Jan232027

Lake Shikaribetsu Kotan

Shikaoi, Hokkaido · Snow and winter · Sat 23 Jan to Sun 14 Mar 2027

A village built entirely of lake ice and snow on the frozen surface of Lake Shikaribetsu, with an ice bar, an ice chapel, ice lodges and an open-air bath on the ice.

Expected window

Jan232027

Sounkyo Ice Fall Festival

Kamikawa, Hokkaido · Snow and winter · Sat 23 Jan to Sun 07 Mar 2027

Ice structures built in the cold of Sounkyo Gorge at Sounkyo Onsen, lit in colour at night.

Expected window

Jan232027

Tokachigawa Swan Festival Sairinka

Otofuke, Hokkaido · Illuminations · Sat 23 Jan to Sun 14 Feb 2027

A nightly light and music show played across the snow-covered fields of Tokachigaoka Park at Tokachigawa Onsen, named for the swans that winter on the river.

Expected window

Jan302027

Chitose Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival

Chitose, Hokkaido · Snow and winter · Sat 30 Jan to Tue 23 Feb 2027

Ice sculptures made from Lake Shikotsu water at Lake Shikotsu Onsen, blue by day and lit at night.

Confirmed dates

Feb12027

Lake Akan Ice Festival

Kushiro, Hokkaido · Snow and winter · Mon 01 Feb to Mon 01 Mar 2027

A festival on the frozen surface of Lake Akan with on-ice activities by day and fireworks over the ice at night.

Expected window

Feb42027

Sapporo Snow Festival

Sapporo, Hokkaido · Snow and winter · Thu 04 to Thu 11 Feb 2027

Large snow and ice sculptures at the Odori and Susukino sites in Sapporo.

Confirmed dates

Feb52027

Shiretoko Fantasia

Shari, Hokkaido · Illuminations · Fri 05 Feb to Sat 20 Mar 2027

A nightly 20-minute show of laser light, music and straw-fire smoke above the drift ice at Utoro, recreating an aurora that appeared over Shiretoko in 1958.

Expected window