Sounkyo Onsen Valley Fire Festival
層雲峡温泉峡谷火まつり
Sounkyo Onsen Valley Fire Festival is a fireworks festival held in Hokkaido. Date: 25 July (Saturday) to 15 August (Saturday) 2026: the main festival on 25 July and the summer fireworks from 26 July to 15 August.. Total shells: about 約1,000発 (毎晩). Attendance: 約30,000人 (期間中合計). No. 64回 (2026年)
Event essentials
Headline stats
- Total Shells
- 約1,000発 (毎晩)
- Duration
- 5 min
- Nights
- 22 night(s)
- Attendance
- 約30,000人 (期間中合計)
- Largest Shell
- Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
- Founding Year
- 1963 (back-calculated from the 64th edition in 2026: 2026-64+1=1963)
Signature Sequences
- 01アイヌの伝統儀式を再現する本まつり（7月25日）
- 027月26日〜8月15日まで毎晩花火を打ち上げ
- 03層雲峡の自然を舞台にした長期開催イベント
- 04打ち上げは陸上
- 05無料観覧
Venue & Access
- Time Window
- Nightly firing at 20:30-20:35 in 2026 (fireworks database); the main festival on 25 July fires at 21:00-21:10.
- Venue
- Sounkyo Onsen Sounkyo Park
- Address
- Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
- Venue Size
- Not confirmed; the area is not published.
- Venue Floor Type
- The park on the valley floor of the Sounkyo gorge, grass and riverside.
- Gates Open
- Not confirmed; no gate-opening time is published.
- Paid-Seat Holder Entry
- Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
- Spectator Capacity
- Not confirmed; no capacity figure is published.
- Launch Company
- Not published (Sounkyo Tourism Association)
- Production Company
- Not published (the Sounkyo Tourism Association is the organiser).
- Sponsor
- Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
Access
From major cities
- From Tokyo
- About 3 h 30 min by JR limited express to Kamikawa Station; roughly 6 h by car via the Asahikawa-Mombetsu Expressway.
- From Osaka
- Not confirmed.
- From Sendai
- Not confirmed.
- Nearest Station
- JR Kamikawa Station, about 30 min by Dohoku Bus to the Sounkyo stop, then a short walk.
- Nearest Shinkansen
- New Chitose Airport by JR limited express.
- Local Transit
- Dohoku Bus runs the Sounkyo route from Kamikawa Station; shuttle buses also operate during the season.
- Parking
- 182 spaces, free.
- Parking Reservation
- Not confirmed; no parking reservation system is described.
- Lodging Strategy
- Staying in a Sounkyo Onsen ryokan puts you right next to the venue. The area is also within day-trip range of Kamikawa Station.
- English Access
- Not confirmed; no dedicated guidance for overseas visitors was found.
- Cash Required
- Viewing is free. Cash is assumed to be needed for food and drink, which the sources do not confirm.
- Best Arrival
- To catch the five-minute firing, be at the venue before 20:00. Because it runs every night, a weekday evening avoids the crowds.
- Peak Crowd
- Crowds peak just before the 20:30 firing. Because the festival runs every night for weeks, the attendance spreads across the period.
Tickets
- Seat Type
- Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
- Price Range
- No paid seats; free viewing.
- Seat Count
- Not applicable; there are no paid seats. seats
- Sellout History
- Not applicable; there are no paid seats.
- Reservation
- No reservation needed; entry is free.
- Day-Of Ticket
- Not applicable; entry is free and needs no ticket.
Weather Policy
- Rain
- Held in light rain; cancelled in stormy weather.
- Decision Time
- Presumably the weather call is made on the morning and announced on the official site and by the Sounkyo Tourism Association.
- Postponement
- Cancelled rather than postponed in stormy weather (fireworks database).
- Wind Threshold
- Not confirmed in the sources checked (2026-10-20 pass)
- Typical Risks
- Hokkaido summers bring frequent thunderstorms and the show is cancelled in stormy weather; the venue is on a valley floor, so evenings are cool.
- Weather Cancellation History
- Not confirmed; no cancellation record was found.