Hokkaido · City guide

What's on in Sapporo.

Hokkaido's capital is a winter city first: the Snow Festival in February, the White Illumination, and beer and ramen built for the cold. Summer answers with beer gardens and lavender day trips to Furano.

Things to do in Sapporo

On in Sapporo

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

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

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

May192027

Sapporo Lilac Festival

Sapporo, Hokkaido · Seasons and nature · Wed 19 to Sun 30 May 2027

Sapporo's start-of-summer festival among 400 blooming lilacs in Odori Park, with a Hokkaido wine garden, outdoor tea ceremonies and live music.

Expected window

Jun92027

Yosakoi Soran Festival

Sapporo, Hokkaido · Festivals · Wed 09 to Sun 13 Jun 2027

Team dance festival in Sapporo combining yosakoi dancing with the Soran Bushi folk song.

Confirmed dates

Jun142027

Hokkaido Shrine Festival (Sapporo Matsuri)

Sapporo, Hokkaido · Religious · Mon 14 to Wed 16 Jun 2027

Sapporo's oldest festival, with a 1,000-person procession of portable shrines and Edo-style floats on the final day and hundreds of food stalls in Nakajima Park.

Confirmed dates

Jul302027

Doshin UHB Fireworks Festival

Sapporo, Hokkaido · Fireworks · Fri 30 Jul 2027

About 4,000 fireworks over the Toyohira River in central Sapporo, a summer tradition easily reached from the city centre.

Expected window

Aug292027

Hokkaido Marathon

Sapporo, Hokkaido · Sport · Sun 29 Aug 2027

Japan's major summer marathon, run through central Sapporo partly on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic marathon course, with around 20,000 runners.

Expected window

Sep102027

Sapporo Autumn Fest

Sapporo, Hokkaido · Food · Fri 10 Sep to Sat 02 Oct 2027

Hokkaido's biggest food festival, filling about a kilometre of Odori Park with stalls from towns and producers across the island.

Expected window

More in the prefecture: What's on in Hokkaido (19 more events).