murmurMombetsu Drift Ice Festival
Mombetsu City · Mombetsu Marine Park, Gariya district event plaza
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Mombetsu Tourist Information Center (Mombetsu Tourism Promotion Corporation) · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Feb 6–8, 2026 （Ended）
- 2027
- Feb 11–14, 2027
- Usual timing
- Usually early February
- How the date is set
- Announced each year Usually early February; dates are set each year by the executive committee
- Venue
- Mombetsu Marine Park, Gariya district event plaza
- City
- Mombetsu City, Hokkaido
About
First held in 1963 in Mombetsu, a town known for its drift ice, this festival set out to turn the drift ice, once resented for closing off the sea each winter, into a boost for the town. Its centerpiece is a giant main sculpture carved from carefully chosen clear natural ice, often modeled on a famous landmark in Japan or abroad and lit up at night. Around it are stalls of local food, stage shows, and a human "ban'ei" contest in which people drag blocks of natural ice.
Sources
- OfficialMombetsu Tourist Information Center (Mombetsu Tourism Promotion Corporation) tic.mombetsu.net
- OfficialHokkaido Tourism Organization (HOKKAIDO LOVE!) www.visit-hokkaido.jp
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.