Gion Kashiwazaki Festival Grand Fireworks Show on the Sea 2026 Confirmed

ぎおん柏崎まつり 海の大花火大会 — Kashiwazaki, Niigata (Koshinetsu)

Kashiwazaki's Grand Fireworks Show on the Sea is the maritime member of Niigata's 'three great fireworks' (sea, river, mountain): about 15,000 shells fired over the Japan Sea on the fixed date of July 26, famous for launching a hundred 30cm shells simultaneously along the beach — a horizon-wide instant of light you feel in your chest — plus shells burst directly on the water's surface.

Background

The finale of the Gion Kashiwazaki Festival, the show has run for over a century and leaned into its coastal geography: wide-front launches impossible on a river, with the sea as both stage and mirror.

Getting there

The venue is Chuo Beach and Minatomachi Seaside Park, about 20–25 minutes on foot from JR Kashiwazaki Station (Shin'etsu Line; about 30 minutes from Nagaoka).

Tips

• The simultaneous hundred-shell launch of 30cm shells is the signature moment — don't leave early; it closes the show.
• Paid seats on the beach face the launch barges head-on; book via the official site from late spring.
• July 26 is fixed, so weekday editions are notably less crowded than weekend years.
• Trains back toward Nagaoka/Niigata are limited on the local line — check the last departures and extra services before committing to a late exit.

Last verified against the official source: Sat, July 4, 2026