murmurNagaoka Festival Grand Fireworks
Nagaoka City · Shinano River banks, downstream of Chosei Bridge
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Niigata Prefectural Tourist Association · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Aug 2–3, 2026 （Ended） About 19:20 to 21:25
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually early August
- How the date is set
- Every year, August 2 – August 3
- Venue
- Shinano River banks, downstream of Chosei Bridge
- City
- Nagaoka City, Niigata
About
Nagaoka's fireworks rank among Japan's finest, with both banks of the Shinano River turned into one vast viewing area. Giant shells fill the sky one after another, including the Shosanshakudama, which opens to about 650 m across, and the Phoenix fireworks for recovery, spanning around 2 km. The event began as a recovery festival held the year after the 1945 air raid on Nagaoka, to mourn the dead and pray for the city's rebuilding; later August 2 and 3 were fixed as fireworks days, as they remain. You'll need a ticket for the paid seating, since there are no free seats; tickets are sold only by lottery, with no box office or same-day sales, so plan ahead. Crowds and road closures are severe, so extra trains and other public transport are the sensible way in.
Sources
- OfficialNiigata Prefectural Tourist Association niigata-kankou.or.jp
- OfficialNagaoka Fireworks Foundation nagaokamatsuri.com
Last checked: Oct 11, 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.