Annual Tanabata Festival for Seidai Myojin
07 Jul 2026
Traditional Events Venue: Shiramine-jingū Shrine
Things to Do
Festivals & Events
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
Traditional Events 
Bronze Gallery: Ancient Chinese Bronzes
04 Apr – 31 Jul 2026
Art / Music / Theater Venue: Sen-oku Hakukokan Museum
“Hokusai and Hiroshige: Works from the Hara Yasusaburo Collection” Exhibition
18 Apr – 14 Jun 2026
Art / Music / Theater Venue: The Museum of Kyoto
Tanabata Bamboo Decoration Illumination
01 Jul – 15 Aug 2026
Special Openings Venue: Kifune-jinja Shrine
The 33rd Joint Performance of Kyoto’s Five Geiko & Maiko Districts – “Miyako no Nigiwai”
27 Jun – 28 Jun 2026
Art / Music / Theater Venue: Minamiza Theater
Gion Matsuri Festival Yamahoko Junko Float Procession (Early Festival & Latter Festival)
17 Jul – 24 Jul 2026
Traditional Events Venue:
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Ceiling Ink Painting of a Dragon & Special Exhibition of the “Kakumei Kyūkō” Mountain Hydrangea Garden
16 May - 14 Jun 2026
Special Openings Venue: Reigen-in, a sub-temple of Kennin-ji Temple
Rei-sai Annual Festival
15 Jun 2026
Traditional Events Venue: Yasaka-jinja Shrine
The 33rd Joint Performance of Kyoto’s Five Geiko & Maiko Districts – “Miyako no Nigiwai”
27 Jun - 28 Jun 2026
Art / Music / Theater Venue: Minamiza Theater
Special Early Summer Garden Opening
29 May - 12 Jul 2026
Special Openings Venue: Ryosoku-in Temple
Mae Engelgeer x Ryosokuin UTSUROI HYMN (From Fragments to Soft Gestures in Stillness) Textile Exhibition
29 May - 12 Jul 2026
Art / Music / Theater Venue: Ryosoku-in Temple
Main Events
Aoi Matsuri Festival
May 15
A long-held procession from Kyoto Imperial Palace to two historic shrines, with 500 people in courtly Heian attire.
Read more
Gion Matsuri Festival
July 1-31
One of the three greatest festivals of Japan, when downtown Kyoto is lively with lavishly decorated festival floats.
Read more
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
October 22
This parade of roughly 2,000 participants dressed in period garb representing over 1,000 years of Kyoto’s history.
Read moreSeasonal Events
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Seasonal Information
No matter what time of year you visit, special experiences await.
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