Twenty Years of Losing Your Friends
In Venues You've Never Heard Of!
Nagoya has a music festival that can be confusing the first time you participate — and by the time you do it's too late.
Your wristband is on, your friends are somewhere on the other side of Shin-Sakae, and a band you've never heard of is making you feel things you weren't expecting on a Saturday afternoon.
SAKAE SP-RING, known locally as SakaSup (サカスプ), turns 20 this year. Organized by ZIP-FM, it takes 18 venues spread across Sakae and nearby Shin-Sakae and fills them with a lineup of several hundred artists over two days.
There is no "main stage", no headliner logic — just a wristband, a timetable, and a city that's more walkable than you think.
The format is the point.
You're not coming to see one thing.
You're coming to wander. Pick a cluster of venues, check in doors and listen, miss something somewhere else, find something better.
There are A LOT OF BANDS - too many to validate here.
The discovery is The Event.
That said...
Four Acts Worth Seeing
Laura day romance
This Osaka-based quartet has been one of the more interesting things in Japanese indie for a few years now: measured, emotionally precise, the kind of band that sounds better the second time you hear them than the first. If you come in cold, give it two songs before deciding to leave.
Necry Talkie
(ネクライトーキー)
Loud, fast, and structurally weird in the best possible way. Necry Talkie have built a devoted following by making music that never quite sits comfortably in any one genre, which is basically the ideal SAKAE SP-RING band. Expect a room full of people who already know every word.
Furui Riho
(古井りほ)
Singer-songwriter, but not in the direction you're probably imagining. Furui Riho's music pulls as much from soul, R&B, and modern pop as it does from traditional singer-songwriter territory, with arrangements that are far more interesting than the label suggests. She's the kind of artist who earns new listeners one set at a time—and usually keeps them.
Ryukku to Soine Gohan
(リュックと添い寝ごはん)
The name translates roughly to "Backpack and Sleeping Together Dinner," which should tell you something. Ryukku to Soine Gohan make the kind of indie pop that feels bright on the surface but carries a quiet melancholy underneath. Melodic, thoughtful, and easy to settle into without fading into the background. A good choice for the middle of the afternoon, when the sun is still out and you haven't quite decided where the day is going.
"Local Act": 呂布カルマ
(Ryohu Karma)
If you only know one name on this list before June 6, make it this one. 呂布カルマ is Nagoya hip-hop—not in the nostalgic sense, but in the ongoing, actively-refusing-to-leave-for-Tokyo sense. He's spent years building his JET CITY PEOPLE label here, competing at the highest levels of Japan's rap battle circuit, and collecting a following that cuts across scenes. Seeing him at a live-circuit festival like SakaSup is different from seeing him in a hip-hop venue—and that's exactly why it's worth doing.
The Basics
Tickets are available through TIGET, e+, Pia, and Lawson Ticket (L-code: 40061; overseas purchases: L-code 40062).
Wristband exchange takes place at Oasis 21—not at the venues—and begins at 09:30 on both days. Show up before you start venue-hopping. Students receive ¥500 back on presentation of valid ID at the exchange.
The official app includes a timetable builder, which you'll want. This is not a one-venue event.
There's also a free outdoor stage at Oasis 21 this year. Check sakaespring.com for the latest timetable and stage information. It provides an easy entry point to the festival even if a wristband isn't in the budget.
The event has official Apps you can download:
Apple
Google Play
The Details
SAKAE SP-RING 2026
サカエスプリング 2026
Venue:
18 live music venues
Across Sakae and Shin-Sakae
Date:
Sat. June 6 – Sun. June 7, 2026
Times:
Doors 11:30
Performances from 12:00
Price:
1-Day Pass ¥4,200
2-Day Pass ¥7,500 (Advance)
Students receive a ¥500 cashback at wristband exchange
upon presentation of valid student ID.
Website:
www.sakaespring.com
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/sakae_spring
Wristband Exchange:
Oasis 21
Exchange Hours:
09:30–20:00 (both days)
All ticket holders must exchange their ticket for a festival wristband before entering participating venues.
Access
By Subway / Train:
Higashiyama Line — Sakae Station (H10)
Direct access to Oasis 21.
Meijo Line — Sakae Station (M08)
Direct access to Oasis 21.
Sakura-dori Line — Hisaya-odori Station (S05)
Approximately 5 minutes on foot to Oasis 21.
Meijo Line — Hisaya-odori Station (M06)
Approximately 5 minutes on foot to Oasis 21.
Most participating venues are within walking distance of Sakae and Hisaya-odori stations.
Nagoya Buzz
MAP
Read More About Nagoya's Live Music Scene
Doug Breté
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