Aoi Matsuri

Kyoto · Float procession

Five hundred people in Heian court dress walk from the Imperial Palace to the Kamo shrines, every 15 May.

Dates

15 May 2027

Held every year on 15 May.

Dates checked against the official site on August 20, 2026

Aoi Matsuri is the oldest of Kyoto's three great festivals and the quietest of them. There are no floats, no drums and no shouting. About five hundred people in Heian court dress walk eight kilometres from the Imperial Palace to Shimogamo and then Kamigamo shrine, with ox carts, horses and a young woman chosen as the Saio-dai at the centre of it. Everything is hollyhock. The leaf is pinned to the carts, the carriages and the hats, which is where the festival gets its name. It is a procession to watch rather than join, and the pace is walking pace, so pick one spot and let it come to you.

Getting a good spot

The stretch along the Kamo river between the two shrines is far easier than the Imperial Palace start, where paid seating takes the best of the space. The procession takes most of the day to cover eight kilometres, so a later spot means a later, calmer wait.

Where it happens

Kyoto Imperial Palace Main site The former residence of Japan's Imperial family for over 500 years until 1869, set within the expansive Kyoto Gyoen N... Shimogamo Shrine One of Kyoto's oldest shrines (UNESCO World Heritage), located within the Tadasu no Mori primeval forest at the confl... Kamigamo Shrine A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Kyoto's oldest Shinto shrines, founded in 678 AD, known for its distinctive c...

Access

Common questions

When is Aoi Matsuri?

On 15 May every year. The procession leaves the Kyoto Imperial Palace in the morning and reaches Kamigamo shrine in the afternoon.

How is it different from Gion Matsuri?

Aoi Matsuri is a single day and a single walking procession in Heian court dress, with no floats and no crowds pushing at night. Gion Matsuri runs a whole month and is built around twelve-tonne floats.