murmurNiigata Soh-Odori Dance Festival
Niigata City · Bandai City crossroads and other venues in central Niigata
Dates and details can change. Always check the official website before you go.
Niigata Soh-Odori Festival Executive Committee · Last checked: Oct 11, 2026
Dates
Dates confirmed with official sources
- 2026
- Sep 19–23, 2026 （Ended）
- 2027
- Dates have not been announced yet. Please check the official website.
- Usual timing
- Usually mid September
- How the date is set
- Changes from year to year Held around the September holiday weekend; dates are announced each year
- Venue
- Bandai City crossroads and other venues in central Niigata
- City
- Niigata City, Niigata
About
Every autumn, central Niigata turns into one of Japan's largest dance festivals. There are no genre limits: yosakoi, hip-hop, jazz, folk dance, cheerleading, gymnastics and original choreography all share the bill. Venues are scattered around town, including the Bandai City crossroads, the plaza at Niigata Station's south exit, Masaya-koji in Furumachi and Niigata Furusato-mura, so wandering between them brings one style after another. Around 200 teams and 13,000 dancers from across Japan usually take part. The festival recreates one said to have existed in Niigata 300 years ago, when people danced for four days and nights. In 2026 it marked its 25th anniversary with 5 days of events, from the eve party through the main days, an after-party and the finale. Watching is free, with some paid seats; there's no parking, so come by public transport.
Sources
- OfficialNiigata Soh-Odori Festival Executive Committee www.soh-odori.net
- OfficialNiigata Prefectural Tourism Association (Niigata Kanko Navi) niigata-kankou.or.jp
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.