Hokkoku Fireworks Kanazawa 2026 Finished Major festival
北國花火 金沢大会 — Kanazawa, Ishikawa (Hokuriku)
- Date
- Sat, July 25, 2026 (This year's edition has concluded — save the date for next year)
- Venue
- Sai River green belt, Kanazawa (犀川緑地(大豆田本町)周辺)
- Scale
- ~12,000 fireworks
- Official site
- hk-event.jp
The Hokkoku Fireworks Kanazawa festival puts about 12,000 shells over the Sai River, a fifteen-minute walk from the samurai districts and tea houses of Japan's best-preserved castle town. The 2026 edition is dedicated to Noto earthquake recovery, and the show's scale is unusually large for how easy it is to attend.
Background
Run by the Hokkoku Shimbun newspaper across multiple venues in Ishikawa each summer, the Kanazawa edition is the flagship, a fixture of the city's late-July calendar for decades.
Getting there
The venue is the Sai River green belt at Omameda: about 20 minutes by bus or taxi from JR Kanazawa Station (Hokuriku Shinkansen, 2.5 hours from Tokyo), or 25 minutes on foot from the Katamachi entertainment district.
Tips
- Kanazawa's tourism infrastructure absorbs the crowd better than most fireworks cities — this is one of the easiest 'big show + great destination' pairings in Japan.
- Free riverbank space is generous by national standards; arriving at dusk still gets a workable spot.
- Stay near Katamachi/Korinbo and you can walk both to the show and back to your hotel — skip the bus queues entirely.
- The 2026 Noto-support program is expected to include memorial pieces; check the official program for the dedication segments.
Frequently asked questions
- When is Hokkoku Fireworks Kanazawa 2026?
- Hokkoku Fireworks Kanazawa 2026 takes place on Sat, July 25, 2026 in Kanazawa, Ishikawa.
- Where is Hokkoku Fireworks Kanazawa held, and where should you watch from?
- Hokkoku Fireworks Kanazawa is held at Sai River green belt, Kanazawa in Kanazawa, Ishikawa. The venue is the Sai River green belt at Omameda: about 20 minutes by bus or taxi from JR Kanazawa Station (Hokuriku Shinkansen, 2.5 hours from Tokyo), or 25 minutes on foot from the Katamachi entertainment district. Kanazawa's tourism infrastructure absorbs the crowd better than most fireworks cities — this is one of the easiest 'big show + great destination' pairings in Japan.
- How many fireworks are launched at Hokkoku Fireworks Kanazawa?
- Around 12,000 fireworks are launched.
- Is Hokkoku Fireworks Kanazawa free to attend, or do I need tickets?
- Most hanabi festivals in Japan are free to watch from public riverside areas, parks, or streets near the venue, though some offer paid reserved seating for a clearer view. Check the official site for this event's specific arrangement.
Last verified against the official source: Thu, July 16, 2026
Plan your trip
- 🏨 Hotels near Sai River green belt, Kanazawa — search is pre-filled with the festival dates
- 📱 Get a Japan eSIM (Airalo) — install before you fly, connect the moment you land, no SIM swap needed
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