Design Festa — official image courtesy of Design Festa

Design Festa 2026 Confirmed

デザインフェスタ — Tokyo (Kanto)

Last updated: Tue, October 20, 2026

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Design Festa is one of Asia's largest art fairs open to anyone: about 6,500 booths each day of original art, illustration, handmade accessories, fashion and crafts, plus live painting, performances and a food area. Anyone can exhibit as long as the work is original, so it is the place to buy directly from independent Japanese artists. Vol. 64 fills the West and South halls of Tokyo Big Sight on November 14–15, 2026, from 10:00 to 18:00. A one-day ticket is ¥800 in advance or ¥1,000 at the door.

Background

Design Festa is held twice a year at Tokyo Big Sight, in spring and autumn. There is no selection process — the only rule is that the work must be your own — which is why the range runs from polished professional work to first-time exhibitors.

In pictures

Getting there

Yurikamome line: Tokyo Big Sight Station is a 3-minute walk from the halls, the closest station to the venue. The Yurikamome starts at Shimbashi (JR, Ginza and Asakusa lines), about 25 minutes away, and ends at Toyosu (Yurakucho line); a one-day pass is worth it if you also stop at Toyosu or Odaiba the same day, and saves queuing at the ticket machines when everyone leaves at 18:00.

Rinkai Line: Kokusai-Tenjijo Station is a 7-minute walk. The line runs from Osaki and Oimachi, about 10 minutes from Oimachi, so it is the easier route if you are staying on that side of the bay.

Tips

• Tickets: ¥800 for one day in advance, ¥1,000 at the door. A two-day ticket is ¥1,500 and sold in advance only. Advance sales run from September 19 to November 13, 2026, and tickets cannot be refunded, so check the date before you buy.
• How to buy in English: KKday sells the official e-ticket and is linked from the organisers' own ticket page. Pick the day, pay by card, and show the QR code on your phone at the entrance — no booking fee and nothing to print or collect. The other sellers (e+, Lawson Ticket, PIA, Rakuten Experiences) are mostly in Japanese.
• Passing through Harajuku before the event? The Design Festa Office and Design Festa Gallery Harajuku sell an original-design paper one-day ticket with no fee, a nice souvenir (the office is at Jingumae 3-20-18, a 9-minute walk from Harajuku Station, open 11:00–20:00). Two-day tickets are not sold there.
• Children up to elementary-school age get in free with a guardian; junior high students and older pay full price.
• Open 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM on both days. Re-entry is allowed: tell the staff at the re-entry gate when you leave.
• With around 6,500 booths a day, check the official exhibitor list before you go and mark the booths you want to visit.
• Cash is king: many exhibitors take cash only, and the venue cannot change money. Bring yen in ¥1,000 notes and coins rather than ¥10,000 notes; ATMs (Seven Bank, Japan Post and others) are in the entrance hall.
• Coin lockers around Tokyo Big Sight fill up early on event days. If you are checking out of your hotel that day, leave your suitcase at the hotel or a luggage-storage service instead of bringing it. A baggage counter at the entrance helps with shopping bags.
• Tens of thousands of people attend. The queue opens from 5:00 AM and waiting overnight is prohibited.
• teamLab Planets TOKYO is four stops away on the same Yurikamome line (Shin-Toyosu Station), so it pairs well with a morning or afternoon at Design Festa. Entry is by dated, timed ticket and slots sell out, so book it before you go.
• Pets are not allowed (guide and assistance dogs excepted), and visitors may not hand out flyers, perform or run photo sessions.

Maintained by Tetsu Yamamoto · Last verified against the official source: Tue, October 20, 2026