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Things to Do

Festivals & Events

Festivals & Events
Gion Matsuri Festival

Kyoto holds many cultural, artistic, and nature-related events throughout the year.
See which ones you will have a chance to experience during your upcoming trip.

*Please note that the displayed dates indicate only the start and the end date of an event. There may be days within that period when the event is not held. Please visit the official website linked below each entry for further details and latest information.

Featured Events

Exhibition: Children Who Grew Up with Manga– 40 Years of Manga in Europe

Exhibition: Children Who Grew Up with Manga– 40 Years of Manga in Europe

17 Sep 2026 – 19 Jan 2027

Art / Music / Theater

Venue: Kyoto International Manga Museum, 2nd Floor, Galleries 1, 2 & 3

Official Website See details (Japanese)
Masterpieces by the Successive Generations of the Raku Family: A Symphony of Chrysanthemums
Second-generation Jōkei (birth year unknown - 1635): Chrysanthemum-patterned red Raku tea bowl

Masterpieces by the Successive Generations of the Raku Family: A Symphony of Chrysanthemums

01 Sep – 24 Dec 2026

Art / Music / Theater

Venue: Raku Museum

Official Website See details (Japanese)
“Zen and Ghibli” Kyoto Exhibition
Title Written by Toshio Suzuki © Kanyada

“Zen and Ghibli” Kyoto Exhibition

03 Oct – 06 Dec 2026

Art / Music / Theater

Venue: Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art (Higashiyama Cube)

Official Website See details (Japanese)

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Onshu-kai Maiko & Geiko Dance Performance

Onshu-kai Maiko & Geiko Dance Performance

01 Oct - 06 Oct 2026

Traditional Events

Venue: Gion Kobu Kaburenjo Theater *Please use the stairs to access the 2nd floor venue.

Official Website See details (Japanese)

Main Events

Aoi Matsuri Festival

Aoi Matsuri Festival

May 15

A long-held procession from Kyoto Imperial Palace to two historic shrines, with 500 people in courtly Heian attire.

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Gion Matsuri Festival

Gion Matsuri Festival

July 1-31

One of the three greatest festivals of Japan, when downtown Kyoto is lively with lavishly decorated festival floats.

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Kyoto Gozan Okuribi Bonfires

Kyoto Gozan Okuribi Bonfires

August 16

Five mountains around Kyoto are lit up with bonfires as a send-off for ancestral spirits who visit during Obon.

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Jidai Matsuri Festival

Jidai Matsuri Festival

October 22

This parade of roughly 2,000 participants dressed in period garb representing over 1,000 years of Kyoto’s history.

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Aoi Matsuri Festival
Gion Matsuri Festival
Kyoto Gozan Okuribi Bonfires
Jidai Matsuri Festival

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Seasonal Information

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