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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

Ukiyo-e Super Creator: Utagawa Kuniyoshi Exhibition
"Miyamoto Musashi and the Giant Whale," c. 1848, private collection

Ukiyo-e Super Creator: Utagawa Kuniyoshi Exhibition

18 Jul – 23 Sep 2026

Art / Music / Theater

Venue: Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, Main Building (North Wing), 1F

Official Website See details (Japanese)
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)

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Eizan Railway Train Decorated With Tanabata Festival Ornaments

Eizan Railway Train Decorated With Tanabata Festival Ornaments

01 Jul - 15 Aug 2026

Cuisine / Markets / Other

Venue: Running mainly between Demachiyanagi Station and Kurama Station

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

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

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