Tanabata Sky Lantern Festival 2026

The festival is a hands-on event in which visitors release LED sky lanterns into the night sky. Each lantern carries a tanzaku – a traditional paper strip on which participants write a wish, in keeping with Tanabata custom. Up to 3,500 lanterns are released per night, illuminating the venue with a dense field of light. In 2025, the event sold out with 44,000 tickets, making it one of the largest lantern festivals in Japan.

The lantern release is scheduled for around 20:30. Late entry is permitted, allowing visitors to attend after work on weekdays or as part of a wider travel itinerary. In addition to the lantern release, the program includes stage performances, traditional festival stalls (ennichi), food trucks, photo spots such as a lantern wall, water fortune-telling, and a festival mask shop.

Early bird tickets are available through the official store. Prices rise in tiers as tickets sell, so earlier purchases secure lower rates.

Tanabata, also known as the Star Festival, is a Japanese seasonal celebration with roots in a Chinese legend about two lovers – represented by the stars Vega and Altair – who are separated by the Milky Way and permitted to reunite only once a year. Held on July 7 in most regions and on August 7 in others following the older lunar calendar, the festival is marked by writing wishes on colourful paper strips called tanzaku and tying them to bamboo branches, along with fireworks, parades, and local festivities.