Planning your first-ever visit to the Sapporo Snow Festival? Well, firstly, that’s amazing! You’re going to have an incredible time! But, that being said, it is a big event that can seem a little overwhelming.
To help guide you through planning, prepping, and actually attending the Sapporo Snow Festival for the first time, we’ve put together this post covering just about everything you might need to know. Keep reading to learn exactly what to expect from Japan’s biggest winter festival.
What is the Sapporo Snow Festival?
The Sapporo Snow Festival is Japan’s most popular winter festival, where millions of people gather to take in the incredible snow and ice sculptures that cover the city. It began almost 80 years ago, with the first-ever festival being a small snow sculpture competition between a few local high school students.
Now, the festival spans locations across Sapporo, with an international sculpture competition that sees the world’s best talent creating intricate, huge, and impressive pieces of artwork, all out of snow. Beyond just the sculptures, you’ll also find a kids’ activities area, an ice bar, and plenty of food stalls for an all-around winter-magic experience.
There are three main locations for festival events, with each offering its own activities and events. Here’s what to know:
Odori Site
Location: Odori
Nearest Station: Odori Station on the Namboku, Toho, and Tozai Lines
Dates: Feb 4th to 11th, 2026
Opening Times: Street illumination ends at 10pm each evening
Odori is the Sapporo Snow Festival’s main (and largest) site. It stretches about 1.5 km, starting with J:COM Square near the Sapporo TV Tower at 1-Chome and running the length of the street. At J:COM Square, you’ll find the snowboarding area, a festival stage for performances, and The Snow Lounge pop-up at The Gate Hotel. Moving down a little way, there’s also an ice skating rink where you can skate or watch the professional figure skating performances.
That being said, the main highlights of the Odori Sapporo Snow Festival site are the snow and ice sculptures. It’s at this venue that you’ll find the International Snow Sculpture Competition, where teams from around the world build and display their incredible creations. There’s also the Citizens’ Snow Sculpture Event, an opportunity for locals to build snow sculptures and compete for a prize. The best part about the Citizens’ competition is that it’s down to a public vote, meaning you get a say in who wins by voting through the festival’s app.
There are also plenty of other snow sculptures to enjoy throughout Odori, including lots of business-sponsored ones. Just by strolling around the area, you’ll see things like life-size buildings, trains, and vehicles, popular characters, and cute snow scenes.
Tsudome Venue
Location: Tsudome Sports Complex
Nearest Station: Sakaemachi Station on the Toho Line
Dates: Feb 4th to 11th, 2026
Opening Times: Daily, between 10am and 4pm
If you have kids, then this is where you’ll probably be spending the most time. Tsudome is a sports complex that transforms every February into a snow activities wonderland. There’s an outdoor and indoor area, making it great for avoiding the super cold weather, with lots of fun things for families to do.
Outdoors, there are multiple snow slides of different sizes, where kids can ride tubes or sleds down the slopes (including one specifically for two-person tubing to ride down with your child). There are two different snow play areas, a snow maze, a snowball challenge section, and even a chance to ride in a rubber dinghy as it’s pulled by a snowmobile. This is also where you’ll find the local elementary school snow sculpture competition.
Indoors, you can take a well-deserved break with a food and drink zone, a cafe, a restroom, and plenty of seating. There’s also a merch shop, crafting workshop area, and kids park, where you’ll find a lot of similar activities to those offered outside, just without the cold weather.
Susukino Venue
Location: Susukino
Nearest Station: Susukino Station on the Namboku and Sapporo Shiden Lines
Dates: Feb 4th to 11th 2026
Opening Times: Street illumination ends at 11pm each evening (10pm on the final evening)
This is the ice-themed venue, where an otherwise regular street becomes Susukino Ice World with 60+ ice sculptures. The statues glow with neon lights and street illuminations, with many being as tall as (or taller than) most people.
Artists come from all over Japan to demonstrate their work, with 3D images of fish, birds, vegetables, and mermaids being turned into frozen wonders. As well as the ice sculptures, you’ll also find a demonstration area, free photo shoot activities, and a small stage in this area.
The Sapporo Snow Festival 2026 Programme
The Sapporo Festival 2026 will take place from February 4th to 11th. Here are the main event dates that you might want to know:
The International Snow Sculpture Competition 2026
- Feb 3rd: The teams begin sculpting
- Feb 4th to 6th: The public can watch the teams sculpting
- Feb 7th at 11am: The awards ceremony
- Feb 7th to 11th: The completed snow sculptures remain on display
The Citizens’ Snow Sculpture Competition
- Jan 29th to Feb 2nd: The teams begin sculpting
- Feb 4th to 7th: Sculpture viewing and public vote
- Feb 8th at 3:30pm: The awards ceremony
What to Expect for Your First Time at the Festival: 10 Tips for First-Timers
Attending the Sapporo Snow Festival is an incredible experience that’s at the top of a lot of people’s Japan bucket lists. You can see some of the most impressive snow and ice sculptures of all time, whilst experiencing all of the charm of a Japanese festival (e.g., food, performances, and music).
That being said, there are quite a few things that you should know before going. This is a huge event with 2 million+ people attending over eight days, so being organised ahead of time is key…especially when you remember that it takes place under some very extreme weather conditions.
Here are 10 things to know before you go to the Sapporo Snow Festival for the first time:
1. Book early
We can’t stress this enough. The Sapporo Snow Festival is super popular for international and Japanese tourists, so hotels and transportation can book up quickly. Expect to pay more than usual for things like accommodation due to this demand, and keep in mind that the earlier you book, the better your options will be.
You don’t need to book tickets for the actual festival (although certain activities like rides will have a small cost), but if you do want to do some other things in Sapporo/Hokkaido around the same time, then our advice to book early still stands. This means any restaurant reservations, ski resort trips, or car rentals should be booked as soon as possible.
2. Pack carefully
It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that the Sapporo Snow Festival conditions are cold and icy. We’re talking average temperatures of -3.1℃ (26.4°F) during February and almost 1.5 metres of snowfall. As most of the festival takes place outside, it is incredibly important to pack carefully for the sub-zero temperatures. You should know what to wear to stay warm and healthy during your trip.
As a general guideline, this is our Sapporo Snow Festival packing list:
- Thermal tops and bottoms
- Lots of layers
- A thick winter coat
- Hat, scarf, and gloves
- Waterproof shoes with enough grip for the ice (ideally snow boots)
- Plenty of thick socks
Once you’re in Sapporo, you can also buy single-use heat packs from pretty much every convenience store. These are lifesavers for keeping your hands and feet warm.
Learn more about winter in Japan
3. Getting to the Sapporo Snow Festival
Assuming you are flying into Sapporo, you’ll most likely be coming from New Chitose Airport (CTS), which is a little way outside of the city. To get from there to Sapporo, you can take one of the following options:
Train
Take the JR Rapid Airport train to JR Sapporo Station, which takes about 35–40 minutes. From there, you can reach the festival sites as follows:
- Odori Site: Take the Namboku or Toho Line to Odori Station (the park is directly above the station)
- Susukino Site: Take the Namboku Line to Susukino Station (just one stop from Odori)
- Tsudome Site: Take the Toho Line to Sakaemachi Station, then either a festival shuttle bus or a 15-minute walk to the Tsudome venue
Bus
Several airport limousine bus services run from New Chitose Airport directly to downtown Sapporo (Odori area). The ride usually takes about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes and stops near Odori Park. You can find the exact timetables here, or ask at the limousine bus ticket counter at the airport.
4. Know where to stay in Sapporo
Where you want to stay is going to depend on a few things, like budget, desired proximity to the festival, and convenience. However, we do have a few suggestions to get you started:
- Sapporo Station Area:
Ideal for first-time visitors who want super convenient transport connections, a wide range of hotels, and easy access to all the Snow Festival sites via subway or on foot. It’s also a practical base if you plan to explore beyond the festival, including day trips around Hokkaido. - Odori:
The most convenient option for the Sapporo Snow Festival itself. Staying near Odori Park puts you within walking distance of the main snow sculptures and nighttime illuminations, making it easy to visit multiple times a day without relying on transport. Just be prepared for hotels to book out quickly and be a little on the pricier side during the festival - Susukino:
This is best for travellers who want nightlife, dining, and late-night festival views. Susukino is not only home to the Ice World venue, but is also Sapporo’s largest entertainment district, with countless restaurants, bars, and ramen shops. It’s lively well into the night and just one subway stop (or a short walk) from Odori Park.
5. Expect icy roads
The roads in and around Sapporo get very icy and slippery during February, making them potentially dangerous to walk on if you’re not prepared. To try and prevent falls and injuries, the festival does put down non-slip sand and uses a one-way system in heavy-traffic areas, but that doesn’t make conditions totally safe.
To help prevent falls and injuries, the official festival site recommends several precautions, like using walking poles or a stick, wearing winter footwear with good grip, and even attaching non-slip traction to the soles of your shoes (which you can buy at convenience stores and official snow festival shops).
It’s also important to be really careful when crossing the street, as the crosswalks and roads can get especially slippery.
6. Don’t only go to Odori Park
Skip this tip, and we promise you’ll be kicking yourself later! Although Odori is the largest site and the place to see the super iconic snow sculptures, it is only one part of the festival! Susukino especially has to be visited for the amazing ice sculptures, and if you have kids, Tsudome is simply unmissable.
So many people skip the other festival sites, which can actually be to your advantage as they’re often less busy and crowded. Make sure you’re walking the full length of Odori when you’re there to see all the amazing snow statues on display and activities to experience.
7. You can explore the whole festival in one day
If all you’re in Sapporo to do is see the snow festival, then you really can hit all the sites in one day. That’s not to say you should do this, but you really don’t have to assign multiple days just for exploring Odori, Susukino, and Tsudome. In fact, if you don’t have children, you could walk the length of Odori and Susukino in one afternoon.
We recommend spending 3-4 days in Sapporo over the festival to give you enough time to see it all, as well as exploring the other wonderful things that the city has to offer. After that, why not round out your winter Hokkaido trip with a stop in Otaru, Niseko, and Hakodate?
8. Planning for the Sapporo Snow Festival with kids
The Sapporo Snow Festival is a really amazing thing to experience as a family with kids. However, like most things, it does require a little extra preparation. One of the best decisions you can make is to set aside a few hours at Tsudome in your schedule, an area made specifically for children to have fun in the snow.
Make sure you bring enough layers for everyone to stay warm, and especially keep an eye on any little ones near the roadside, as there can be a slippery step down where they can easily fall. You can definitely bring a stroller to and around the festival, and it might even be preferable to avoid little ones running along the icy pavements.
9. Look out for the seasonal food
Don’t miss out on the festival food! The Sapporo Snow Festival is a great time to try winter-only and regional Hokkaido specialties, with food stalls and nearby restaurants serving plenty of hearty, warming dishes perfect for cold weather.
At the festival sites and around Odori and Susukino, you’ll find classics like miso ramen, soup curry, grilled seafood, buttered corn, and Hokkaido dairy desserts. Many stalls also serve hot drinks, skewers, and sweet treats that are easy to enjoy while walking between sculptures.
Susukino is especially known for late-night dining, making it a great stop after viewing the illuminated ice sculptures. If you’re visiting Tsudome with kids, the indoor food areas are ideal for warming up while grabbing something filling.
10. Know the Snow Sculpture Competition dates
If you have your heart set on watching the international teams at work, voting in the citizens’ snow sculpture competition, or seeing the awards ceremonies, then you have to know the dates ahead of time. Depending on what you want to see, it should change when you go to the Odori site itself.
For instance, if you’re excited to watch the snow sculptures being created, then you only have until Feb 7th to go this year. On the other hand, if you want to be able to enjoy these exemplary snow sculptures in all their glory, then plan to attend between Feb 8th and 11th, when they’re fully finished and on display.
We also should mention that if you’re thinking of trying to cheat the system and see the sculptures the day after the festival ends…it’s unfortunately not going to work. Most of the snow and ice sculptures are taken down by 10am the day after the festival, so you really do have to visit within the short 8-day window to see them.
Exploring Sapporo Beyond the Festival…
There’s much more to Sapporo than just the Snow Festival itself. Don’t make the mistake of not exploring all it has to offer whilst you’re there! Here are a few ideas to add to your Sapporo Snow Festival trip itinerary:
- Sapporo Beer Museum: Learn about Japan’s beer history and Sapporo’s role in it, then warm up with a tasting.
- Shiroi Koibito Park: A whimsical, European-style theme park run by Hokkaido’s famous chocolate brand. You can tour the factory, learn how the sweets are made, and enjoy winter decorations and illuminations.
- Nijo Market: A central seafood market that’s perfect for breakfast or lunch. It’s a great place to try fresh Hokkaido seafood, including crab and kaisendon (seafood rice bowls), which are especially popular in winter.
- Mount Moiwa Ropeway: For a change of pace from the festival crowds, take the ropeway up Mount Moiwa for panoramic views over snowy Sapporo.
- Former Hokkaido Government Office: Known as the “Red Brick Office,” this historic building contains exhibits on Hokkaido’s development, featuring artefacts, maps, and even old agricultural tools that tell the story of the island’s past.
Sapporo Snow Festival FAQs
What date is the Sapporo Snow Festival?
The Sapporo Snow Festival 2026 runs from February 4 to February 11, 2026, with events held daily across multiple venues in the city.
Where is the Sapporo Snow Festival in 2026?
The festival takes place at three main sites in Sapporo: Odori Park (snow sculptures), Susukino (ice sculptures), and Tsudome (snow play and family activities).
How much does it cost to attend the Sapporo Snow Festival?
The festival is free to attend, though some attractions, food stalls, and activities may charge a small fee.
How to dress for the Sapporo Snow Festival?
Dress for cold, icy conditions with insulated waterproof boots, a warm coat, thermal layers, gloves, a hat, and footwear with good grip to stay comfortable and safe.
Is the Sapporo Snow Festival worth going to?
Yes! It is a completely unique opportunity to see some truly amazing snow and ice sculptures as well as join in on some very fun snow-themed activities, with plenty of Japanese festival charm.
