# Omagari Fireworks

> The national fireworks competition, where Japan's pyrotechnicians compete for the Prime Minister's Award.

- Prefecture: Akita
- Type: Fireworks
- Admission: Free to attend
- Typically held: Held on the last Saturday of August, with a daytime round as well as the night programme.
- Official site: https://www.omagari-hanabi.com/

## Dates

- 2026-08-29 to 2026-08-29
- Status: confirmed
- Dates verified on 2026-08-20 from https://www.omagari-hanabi.com/overview/summer

| When | What |
| --- | --- |
| 2026-08-29 17:10 | Daytime competition |
| 2026-08-29 19:00 | Night competition |

Omagari is a competition before it is a show, and that changes how you watch it. Twenty-eight or so pyrotechnicians each submit a set piece they have designed themselves, judged on the shell's symmetry, the colour changes and how cleanly it dies. Between the competition rounds the crowd is quiet in a way that other fireworks nights are not, because everyone is looking for the same faults the judges are. It also runs a daytime round, which almost nowhere else does: shells that burst into coloured smoke against the sky rather than light. It is a strange thing to see once, and the reason to arrive in the afternoon rather than the evening.

## FAQ

### When is the Omagari fireworks competition?

On the last Saturday of August. The daytime round starts in the late afternoon and the night programme follows at 19:00.

### What makes Omagari different from other fireworks festivals?

It is a judged competition rather than a display. Each pyrotechnician designs and fires their own entry, and there is a daytime round using coloured smoke, which is very rare elsewhere.

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Source: Omagari Fireworks — Japan Voyage