murmurHokkaido Shrine Festival (Sapporo Matsuri)
Sapporo City · Hokkaido Shrine, Nakajima Park and central Sapporo
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Hokkaido Shrine · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- 2027
- Jun 14–16, 2027 Confirmed from the official annual schedule and Sapporo Tourism Association (Welcome to Sapporo)’s notice for that year
- Usual timing
- Usually mid June
- How the date is set
- Every year, June 14 – June 16 Eve rites June 14 at 18:00, main rite June 15 at 10:00, procession June 16 at 9:00 (per the shrine)
- Venue
- Hokkaido Shrine, Nakajima Park and central Sapporo
- City
- Sapporo City, Hokkaido
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About
The annual grand festival of Hokkaido Shrine, known locally as Sapporo Matsuri, has been held since 1872, when its date was fixed as June 15. In 1878 a portable shrine was first carried through the streets, and the procession has been a fixture ever since. The festival runs for three days each year: eve rites on June 14, the main ceremony on June 15 and the procession on June 16. The procession is the highlight – led by festival music, more than 1,000 people in historical costume, including Sarutahiko and the Ishin Kinnotai troop, wind through the city to the sound of flutes and drums, joined by nine floats from the city's festival districts. Dedicatory performances are staged at the shrine, and food stalls line both the shrine grounds and Nakajima Park, making it a city-wide celebration that heralds summer.
Sources
- OfficialHokkaido Shrine www.hokkaidojingu.or.jp
- OfficialSapporo Tourism Association (Welcome to Sapporo) www.sapporo.travel
- Date checkSapporo Tourism Association (Welcome to Sapporo) www.sapporo.travel
Last checked: Oct 10, 2026. Event information is based on official announcements, but changes may not always be reflected here. Please check each official website for accurate details.
Other events this month
On the day, see what locals are murmuring on the murmur map
murmur is an app that shows short, anonymous posts on a map, right where they were written. On festival day, open the map around the venue and see what people nearby are saying.