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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.

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Higashi Hongan-ji Temple, Goei-do-mon (Founder’s Hall Gate) – Kyoto Summer Special Openings

Higashi Hongan-ji Temple, Goei-do-mon (Founder’s Hall Gate) – Kyoto Summer Special Openings

11 Jul - 30 Sep 2025

Special Openings

Venue: Higashi Hongan-ji Temple, Goei-do-mon (Founder's Hall Gate)

Official Website See details (Japanese)
Japanese Picture Scroll of Light Illumination: Kyoto Night Lights of the Four Seasons

Japanese Picture Scroll of Light Illumination: Kyoto Night Lights of the Four Seasons

13 Dec 2024 - 31 Dec 2025

Special Openings

Venue: JR Kyoto Station Building 7F, East Plaza

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

Seasonal Events

The Aoi Matsuri Festival Procession Sales Information: Parade Viewing Seats
Festivals & Events
Hinamatsuri Festival
Cultural Sites Festivals & Events
Lake Biwa Canal Cruise
Activities
Yamashina in Spring
Areas Cultural Sites Nature & Outdoors
Aoi Matsuri Festival
Festivals & Events
“Haru no Odori” – Spring Dance performances by maiko and geiko in 2025
Festivals & Events
Cherry-Picked Sakura Spots on the Edges of Kyoto
Areas Nature & Outdoors

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Seasonal Information

No matter what time of year you visit, special experiences await.

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