New Urban Festival "KAWASAKI FESTIVAL" to be Held for the First Time, Bringing Together Public and Private Sectors Including Kawasaki City and DeNA!

The KAWASAKI FESTIVAL 2026 Executive Committee will hold the urban festival "KAWASAKI FESTIVAL 2026" with a new concept for the first time in the Kawasaki Station area on November 1 (Sun) and 3 (Tue, holiday).

This festival aims to grow into a new "face of Kawasaki" that continues to generate greater excitement and energy by developing diverse content such as music live performances, talk sessions, and experiential programs, involving various stakeholders and the entire city. In the future, it aims to evolve into a destination where people with ambition and talent who want to "try new things" gather from both Japan and abroad.

Official Website

Concept/Event Name/Symbol Mark

● Concept

The concept of this festival is "Challenger's Fes." Under the slogan "Let Your Heart Race," we aim to create a vibrant space where various challengers gather, their individualities blend beyond industry and genre boundaries, they inspire each other, and all challenges are celebrated.

● Event Name

The event name "KAWASAKI" is used with the desire to make it a symbol of the city's identity.

● Symbol Mark

The symbol mark is a design that combines the initial "K" of Kawasaki (KAWASAKI) with a "heart" symbolizing the "pulse" of challenge and "love" for Kawasaki, serving as a universal symbol that can be intuitively understood across languages and generations.

Event Overview

Dates: November 1 (Sun) and 3 (Tue, holiday), Reiwa 8 (2026)

Location: Kawasaki Station Area (Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki City)

Organizer: KAWASAKI FESTIVAL 2026 Executive Committee

This event will be held in the following 3 categories:

Category 1: "CULTURE (Nurturing Culture)"

This category aims to foster Kawasaki's unique culture that will continue to the next generation by creating opportunities for new experiences and challenges together through interaction between performers, exhibitors, creators, and visitors. This year, November 1 (Sun) will be "CULTURE DAY," featuring diverse performances, experiential content, and talk sessions.

● Minna no Kawasaki Matsuri (Everyone's Kawasaki Festival)

This year, "Minna no Kawasaki Matsuri," a gathering of diverse cultures such as sports, dance, art, music, and food, will be held in public spaces like the City Hall street in front of Kawasaki Station. The theme for the 4th edition is "Intersection of Beginnings." Starting from the symbolic intersection in front of the station, a "one-day only" public space will appear where citizens, cultures, generations, and genres intersect, giving rise to new encounters and challenges. The "Kawasaki-like intersection" born only on this day and at this place, where excitement and expression mix, will connect the city as one.

*Applications for citizen models for the social good fashion show are now open. For details, please check the official "KAWASAKI FESTIVAL" website.

[Date] November 1 (Sun), Reiwa 8 (2026)

[Location] City Hall Street / In front of Keikyu Kawasaki Station / Kawasaki Station East Exit Rotary / Kawasaki City Hall Main Building / City Hall Plaza / Inage Park / KAWASAKI FESTIVAL Plaza (*Collaborative Venue)

[Organizer] Kawasaki City

● Colors, Future! Summit 2026

This event combines a "conference" to conceive new actions for the future with a "festival" to experiment and experience those actions. It will generate the driving force to update the city of Kawasaki as a "platform for challenges" that connects ideas born from discussions to actual projects. It connects "challenges" to "implementation" in society.

[Date] November 1 (Sun), Reiwa 8 (2026)

[Location] Kawasaki City Hall Main Building 2nd Floor Hall / Kawasaki City Hall Main Building 1st Floor "UNI COFFEE ROASTERY" / Lazona Kawasaki Plaza Loufa Plaza

[Organizer] Colors, Future! Summit 2026 Production Committee (NTT East, CS Day Research Institute Inc., JTB Kawasaki Branch Inc., TopKnock Inc., Frontier Direct Inc., Kawasaki City, Mitsubishi Kakoki Kaisha, Ltd.)

● Keikyu Kawasaki Home Party - ENSEN FOOD, BEER, MUSIC -

A happy "home" party to enjoy the culture along the Keikyu Line will be held on the platform of Keikyu Kawasaki Station. The Daishi Line platform and the road in front of Keikyu Kawasaki Station will be transformed into an entertainment space, featuring a "live home bar" offering craft beer and food from breweries based along the Keikyu Line. In collaboration with "Kawasaki Jazz," it will offer a new experience where you can enjoy the extraordinary with all five senses, immersed in beer, food, and live jazz performances inside a train stopped at the platform.

[Date] October 31 (Sat) and November 1 (Sun), Reiwa 8 (2026) *Some events will also be held on November 3 (Tue, holiday).

[Location] Keikyu Kawasaki Station Daishi Line Platform 1 / Pedestrian-only road near the Keikyu Kawasaki Station entrance intersection.

[Organizer] KAWASAKI FESTIVAL 2026 Executive Committee

Category 2: "LIVE (Moving Hearts)"

This category allows visitors to encounter and enjoy the expressions of artists across generations and genres, centered around the music culture nurtured in Kawasaki, as well as the talents of the next generation. Visitors will celebrate the performers' challenges, enhancing the sense of unity throughout the city through moments that move their hearts. This year, November 3 (Tue, holiday) will be "LIVE DAY," featuring diverse music live performances and a culture market.

● "LIVE STOCK - KAWASAKI MUSIC JOURNEY - "

This is a music live event with the concept of "STOCKING (accumulating and inheriting)" the energy generated by live experiences as future culture. In its second year, artists from various generations and genres will gather on two contrasting stages: "CLUB CITTA'", a pioneer of domestic live halls that has led youth culture, and "Muzsa Kawasaki Symphony Hall", a classical hall boasting world-class acoustics. It aims to create a space where new values and culture are born through the encounter and connection of diverse people through music.

[Date] November 3 (Tue, holiday), Reiwa 8 (2026)

[Location] CLUB CITTA' / Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall

[Performers & Ticket Information]

<CLUB CITTA'>

Performers: Schadaraparr, Suiyoubi no Campanella, tofubeats

*Advance ticket sales (first-come, first-served) begin at 2:00 PM on June 30 (Tue). For ticket details, please check the official website of this event.

<Muza Kawasaki Symphony Hall>

Detailed information on performers and tickets is scheduled to be announced around late July.

[Organizer] KAWASAKI FESTIVAL 2026 Executive Committee

● "The Commons in LIVE STOCK - KAWASAKI MUSIC JOURNEY - "

A spin-off content of "LIVE STOCK - KAWASAKI MUSIC JOURNEY - ". This is a free-admission culture market. It will create a "Commons" where goods and artworks that can only be found on this day and at this place, such as personal belongings and one-of-a-kind items exhibited by artists themselves, will be available, sharing music and culture. A free stage where various artists will perform live and showcase their talents is also planned. Exhibiting artists will be announced around late July.

[Date] November 3 (Tue, holiday), Reiwa 8 (2026)

[Location] La Cittadella

[Participating Artists] To be announced later

[Organizer] KAWASAKI FESTIVAL 2026 Executive Committee

● Kawasaki Jazz 2026 Ai Furusato – Piano Solo & Trio

A performance to be held at Cults Kawasaki on November 3 (Tue, holiday). This is a special performance by jazz pianist "Ai Furusato," who was accepted into the prestigious Berklee College of Music in the US at the age of 12 with a Presidential Scholarship (full tuition waiver) and enrolled as a regular student, the youngest in the university's history. She will have a homecoming performance in Kawasaki, where she spent her cherished childhood years. On this day, she will present a creative stage featuring her original piano solos and her unit's ensemble with keyboards. Ai, who is expected to become a leading jazz pianist in Japan and shine on the world stage, will perform in Kawasaki, the origin of her music. This performance will be a milestone for both her and Kawasaki.

[Date] November 3 (Tue, holiday), Reiwa 8 (2026)

[Location] Cults Kawasaki

[Performers] Ai Furusato (Piano), Guest: akiko (Vocals)

[Organizer] Cults Kawasaki

Category 3: "& CHALLENGE (Practice)"

This category aims to realize the "desire to try" and new initiatives of each content organizer, performer, and visitor as "challenges." Various content themed around "challenge" will be developed as the "&CHALLENGE PROGRAM" over the two days of November 1 and 3, including street stages where performers from diverse genres gather and public participation programs.

● "& CHALLENGE PROGRAM"

Based on the festival's concept of "Challenger's Fes," this program will feature street stages with performers from diverse genres and open call programs, embodying the first step of challenge. Details will be announced sequentially on the official website.

Other Collaborative Events

To further create excitement in the surrounding areas and offer attractive experiences that blend with Kawasaki's rich culture, we will collaborate with events held concurrently in the Kawasaki Station area. By coordinating with traditional festivals that have been loved in Kawasaki for many years and events where you can enjoy its unique and rich food culture, we will expand the enjoyment of exploring the entire city.

● 47th Kawasaki Citizen's Festival

This festival, held jointly by citizens, businesses, and the government, aims to inherit the historic festival held under the slogan "Let's create a public space for everyone" and to promote the creation of a richer citizen culture and the revitalization of the regional economy, making our city Kawasaki a source of pride both domestically and internationally. It will feature food and drink booths and food trucks from local businesses and municipalities nationwide, citizen stages with performances by dance, cheerleading, and hula dance groups, and experiential events such as American football experiences, mini-Shinkansen rides, and craft workshops.

Kawasaki Citizen's Festival Official Website

[Date] October 30 (Fri) to November 1 (Sun), Reiwa 8 (2026)

[Location] Fujimi Park Area, Kawasaki Ward

[Organizer] Kawasaki City / 47th Kawasaki Citizen's Festival Executive Committee

● Kawasaki Night Market

The "Kawasaki Night Market," an autumn tradition held in the area east of JR Kawasaki Station, will be held again this year. With a record number of participating stores planned, including a stall event featuring local famous restaurants and a bar crawl event visiting unique eateries, we will widely promote Kawasaki's diverse food culture and city charm throughout the country.

Kawasaki Night Market Official Website

[Date] Kawasaki Soul Food Stalls: October 23 (Fri) to October 25 (Sun), Reiwa 8 (2026) / Kawasaki Bar Festival: October 25 (Sun) to November 1 (Sun), Reiwa 8 (2026)

*Detailed event times will be announced on the official website at the end of September.

[Location] JR Kawasaki Station East Exit Plaza, La Cittadella, CinCitta Street Shopping District, Kawasaki Station East Exit Nakamise-dori Shopping Street, etc.

[Organizer] Kawasaki Night Market Executive Committee

● Kawasaki Ramen Festival 2026 Autumn

The "Kawasaki Ramen Festival," which generated excitement in front of Kawasaki Station last spring, returns with an expanded scale and a tag-team with "Minna no Kawasaki Matsuri." This time again, popular and skilled ramen shops, including local famous restaurants that can only be found at the Kawasaki Ramen Festival, will gather at the KAWASAKI FESTIVAL Plaza. In collaboration with Kawasaki Lefron, the space will be further enhanced to be enjoyable for families with children. Aiming to become a new local signature festival where multiple generations can interact through food and play, we will create further excitement in Kawasaki with the finest bowls infused with the passion of the shop owners.

Kawasaki Ramen Festival Official Website

[Date] October 30 (Fri) to November 3 (Tue), Reiwa 8 (2026)

[Location] KAWASAKI FESTIVAL Plaza / Kawasaki Lefron

[Organizer] Kyokyo Ramen Festival Executive Committee

Background of the Event

This city has developed by embracing challenges and viewing them as opportunities. In the Kawasaki Station area, new urban development is underway, including the "Kawasaki Arena-City Project" scheduled to open in 2030. In the future, this area will evolve into a hub where culture, entertainment, and business intersect, possessing even greater potential. To accelerate this movement and continue its development, it is essential for all stakeholders involved in the city, including citizens, companies, and organizations, to connect with each other, create new challenges, and disseminate new values.

As an initiative to achieve this, the urban festival "KAWASAKI FESTIVAL" will be launched, with an executive committee composed of Kawasaki City and multiple companies and organizations, to serve as a stage for integrating Kawasaki's diverse culture and generating greater excitement throughout the city through the unified efforts of the public and private sectors.

Operational Structure of "KAWASAKI FESTIVAL 2026" and Comments from Stakeholders

The "KAWASAKI FESTIVAL 2026 Executive Committee," established for the holding of this festival, will be operated with Kawasaki City, DeNA Co., Ltd., and Keikyu Corporation as core members, and will consist of the following companies and organizations. By combining the strengths and outreach capabilities of each company and organization, we will generate greater excitement throughout the city as one.

● Comment from Nobuo Motosawa, Executive Committee Chairman

Director, Kawasaki Base Development Office, Sports & Smart City Business Division, DeNA Co., Ltd. & Chairman of the Board, DeNA Kawasaki Brave Thunders

In Kawasaki, a city that constantly embraces new values and continues to take on challenges, we are currently promoting the "Kawasaki Arena-City Project," a project that integrates urban development centered around an arena and its surrounding area. "KAWASAKI FESTIVAL," which will create new urban excitement through public-private collaboration in anticipation of the arena's opening in 2030, is the first step in our challenge to realize a world-leading arena city. We will take on the significant challenge of spreading the passion for entertainment that we have cultivated through sports and other businesses to the entire city together with the government and local communities. We believe that the new challenges and culture born from "KAWASAKI FESTIVAL" will become a source of pride for the city and a driving force for Kawasaki's future.

● Comment from Norihiko Fukuda, Mayor of Kawasaki City

Kawasaki City is a city full of youthful energy, growing by embracing diverse people and cultures and accepting new challenges. As we look towards the next 100 years beyond the milestone of our 100th anniversary, "KAWASAKI FESTIVAL," which connects the creativity and outreach of private companies and local organizations with the urban development promoted by the government, is a model for new urban festivals through public-private co-creation.

We expect it to become a world-class festival that fuses the culture, industry, expression, and local strengths nurtured in Kawasaki with new forces from Japan and abroad, and to become a major catalyst for Kawasaki to evolve into a "city where challengers gather from around the world and disseminate the future."

<Executive Committee Member Organizations> (in no particular order)

Kawasaki City, DeNA Co., Ltd., Keikyu Corporation, Kawasaki Ward Neighborhood Association Federation, Saiwai Ward Neighborhood Association Federation, Kawasaki Station Area Shopping Street Federation, Kawasaki Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Japan Association of Travel Agents Kawasaki Branch, Kawasaki City Cultural Foundation, Kawasaki Shinkin Bank, Citta Entertainment Co., Ltd., Horipro Inc., Colors, Future! Summit 2026 Production Committee, Cults Kawasaki, Kawasaki Nikko Hotel, Hotel Metropolitan Kawasaki, Kawasaki Station Area Commercial Facilities (Wing Kitchen Keikyu Kawasaki, Kawasaki Azalea, Kawasaki DICE, Kawasaki Mores, Kawasaki Lefron, Muza Kawasaki, La Cittadella)

Contact Information

Regarding this entire document and "KAWASAKI FESTIVAL" / "Colors, Future! Summit 2026"

Kimura, Office of Co-creation Promotion, General Affairs and Planning Bureau, Kawasaki City

Phone: 044-200-1215

Regarding "Minna no Kawasaki Matsuri"

Igarashi, Urban Development Bureau, Base Development Promotion Office, Kawasaki City

Phone: 044-200-2752

Regarding "Kawasaki Citizen's Festival"

Hosoi, Tourism and Regional Vitality Promotion Department, Economic and Labor Bureau, Kawasaki City

Phone: 044-200-0508

Regarding "Kawasaki Night Market"

Mori, Tourism and Regional Vitality Promotion Department, Economic and Labor Bureau, Kawasaki City

Phone: 044-200-2503

Regarding "LIVE STOCK" / "The Commons"

DeNA Co., Ltd.

Email: sports_pr@dena.com

Regarding "Keikyu Kawasaki Home Party"

Koreeda/Arai, New Value Co-creation Office, Public Relations, Keikyu Corporation

Email: keikyu-koho_b7n@keikyu-group.jp

Regarding "Kawasaki Jazz 2026 Ai Furusato – Piano Solo & Trio"

Cults Kawasaki

Phone: 044-222-5211

Regarding "Kawasaki Ramen Festival 2026 Autumn"

Ikeda, Matsumoto, Kyokyo Ramen Festival Executive Committee

Email: pr.nknesfes@gmail.com

*Information published in this release is subject to change based on future discussions and considerations with relevant parties.