Japan’s Summer Sonic Festival Celebrates 25th Anniversary in 2026
The festival is expanding to three days to commemorate the anniversary.
Image supplied
Japan’s Summer Sonic Festival turns 25 in 2026, and to celebrate, organisers are going all out, with the festival stretching to three days.
The long-running festival will once again be held in the Japanese cities of Tokyo and Osaka from August 14 to 16, 2026. The Tokyo leg of Summer Sonic will be held at ZOZO Marine Stadium and Makuhari Messe in Chiba, while the Osaka edition takes over Expo ’70 Commemorative Park in Suita.
Although the line-up has yet to be released (the first acts will be revealed in February), music lovers can expect a diverse bill of international artists and local Japanese acts, with this year’s Summer Sonic featuring the likes of The Prodigy, Fall Out Boy, Alicia Keys, BABYMETAL, Bloc Party, Camila Cabello and many more.
Considering Summer Sonic 2026 is the 25th edition of the festival, there will no doubt be a few big surprises too.
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Accompanying the announcement of the festival’s return, Creativeman Productions CEO Naoki Shimizu released the following statement about the history of the festival and what to expect next year.
“Creativeman was founded in 1990, and ten years later, in 2000, Summer Sonic was launched at last. With the message of allowing people to easily enjoy a world-class music festival without travelling overseas - “Travelling Without Moving”- we took on the challenge of creating Japan’s first large-scale festival to be held simultaneously in Tokyo and Osaka.
“From its very first year, many domestic and international artists took the stage, led by Green Day. In 2003, Radiohead delivered a legendary headline performance, establishing Summer Sonic in both name and reality as a festival recognised around the world. Since then, numerous artists who performed at Summer Sonic have gone on to become global stars. Through milestone editions such as the 10th and 20th anniversaries, celebrated with three-day events, the festival now looks ahead to 2026, when its 25th anniversary will be marked by the largest edition ever - three days and a challenge to welcome a record-breaking 330,000 attendees.
“To the approximately 4.7 million people who have joined us at Summer Sonic and Sonicmania over the past 24 years, we extend our heartfelt gratitude, and we hope to once again create unforgettable summer days together.
“Next year, exciting and inspiring acts will come together with a true once-in-a-lifetime spirit to deliver outstanding live performances. Reunions filled with nostalgia and brand-new discoveries will begin again.
“Until the first lineup announcement scheduled for February, we wish you a wonderful holiday.”
Summer Sonic runs from August 14 to 16, 2026, in Tokyo at ZOZO Marine Stadium and Makuhari Messe in Chiba and in Osaka at Expo ’70 Commemorative Park in Suita. For more details, visit summersonic.com.
