Yosakoi Matsuri

Kochi · Dance festival

Kochi's summer dance festival, held from 9 to 12 August every year. About 200 teams and some 20,000 dancers take turns performing at 16 locations around the city, each team in its own costumes and with its own choreography.

Dates

9 to 12 August 2027

Provisional, not yet confirmed by the organizers

Monday 9 to Thursday 12 August. The festival runs on these dates every year, but the 2027 festival had not been announced yet.

9 to 12 August every year.

Dates checked against the official site on October 31, 2026

Yosakoi is a group dance that started in Kochi, danced to music based on Yosakoi-bushi, a folk song of the area. Every team has its own costumes and its own choreography, and teams are often accompanied by a jikatasha, a decorated truck that carries their music. About 200 teams and roughly 20,000 dancers, from across Japan and abroad, perform in turn at 16 locations around the city. The style has spread far beyond Kochi: by June 2022 there were yosakoi teams in 34 countries and regions. The 2026 festival, from 9 to 12 August, was the 73rd.

Where it happens

Kochi Castle One of just 12 original castles, Kochi is the only castle in Japan to retain both its original tower and complete pal... Hirome Market Step into the center of Kochi at Hirome Market, where over 60 food stalls and communal tables create a lively atmosph...

Access

Common questions

When is the Yosakoi Matsuri?

From 9 to 12 August every year, in Kochi city. In 2027 that is Monday to Thursday.

Where can I watch?

At any of the 16 locations around Kochi city where the teams perform. Check the schedule for the day you go before setting out.

What is a jikatasha?

A decorated truck that carries a team's music and goes along with the dancers. Each team's music is based on the Kochi folk song Yosakoi-bushi.