murmurKesennuma Minato Matsuri (Port Festival)
Kesennuma City · Minatomachi and the inner harbor (Minatomachi harbor road, Naiwan Plaza and nearby)
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Kesennuma Minato Matsuri · Last checked: Oct 10, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Aug 1–2, 2026 （Ended）
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually early August
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Two days in August; dates are announced each year
- Venue
- Minatomachi and the inner harbor (Minatomachi harbor road, Naiwan Plaza and nearby)
- City
- Kesennuma City, Miyagi
About
This summer festival takes over the harbor of Kesennuma, a town built on fishing. Its roots lie in a 1949 harbor festival, and the first Minato Matsuri was held in 1951; 2026 marked its 74th edition. Day one opens with activities on the water in the inner harbor, such as banana-boat rides, and in the evening crowds dance the Hamarainya dance along the harbor road. Day two brings a daytime parade and a cutter-rowing race, then an evening uchibayashi festival-drumming showdown. Saury boats light up their fish-attracting lamps in the harbor, and the night ends with a drone show and fireworks. Food stalls and the inner-harbor morning and night markets run throughout, giving the whole waterfront a lively port-town atmosphere.
Sources
- OfficialKesennuma Minato Matsuri www.kesennuma.or.jp
- Reference気仙沼みなとまつりスケジュール www.kesennuma.or.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.