The 76th Sapporo Snow Festival, running from February 4 to February 11, 2026, features a special nighttime attraction at Odori Park Site 11. Two medium-sized snow sculptures are illuminated with music-synchronized lighting using COUGEN technology, creating an immersive audiovisual experience for festival visitors.
Crypton Future Media, a Sapporo-based company, developed the COUGEN (Kougen) system, which synchronizes lighting effects precisely to musical beats. This year, the technology enhances both the Snow Miku sculpture and the adjacent Oshi no Ko anime sculpture, transforming the evening atmosphere at Site 11.
Snow Miku Snow Sculpture Light Show
The Snow Miku snow sculpture, titled "Snow Miku Sweet Snow Ver.," represents a character created to support Hokkaido. The sculpture ties into the SNOW MIKU 2026 festival, featuring this year's theme "Shiawase Patisserie" (Happy Patisserie).
During evening hours, the sculpture comes to life with special lighting effects synchronized to the festival's theme song "SHIAWASE FOR YOU!" performed by Iyowa featuring Hatsune Miku. The light show runs regularly throughout the night, offering multiple viewing opportunities.
The main SNOW MIKU 2026 event takes place on February 7 and 8 at Wing Bay Otaru, providing additional festival activities beyond the snow sculpture display.
For more information about the snow sculpture, visit the Snow Miku official website.
Oshi no Ko Anime Snow Sculpture
The second sculpture at Site 11 features "Ai," a character from the TV anime series Oshi no Ko, currently airing its third season since January 2026. The sculpture receives its own dedicated light show set to a medley of three popular songs from the anime: "Sign wa B," "POPIN 2," and "B no Revenge," performed by the fictional idol group B-Komachi from the series.
©Aka Akasaka × Mengo Yokoyari / SHUEISHA, [Oshi no Ko] Production Committee
Crypton Future Media provided the COUGEN technology to enable this special lighting presentation. For complete information about the Oshi no Ko exhibition at the 2026 Sapporo Snow Festival, visit the 47 Prefectures Project special page.
Light Show Details
Both snow sculptures feature alternating light shows throughout the evening hours from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. The presentations operate on a regular schedule, though weather conditions may cause cancellations, time adjustments, or additional performances.
Event Information:
- Period: February 4 (Wed) to February 11 (Wed/Holiday), 2026
- Time: 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM (regular intervals)
- Location: Odori Park Site 11 International Square (East side)
- Featured Sculptures:
- Medium sculpture: Snow Miku Sweet Snow Ver.
- Medium sculpture: TV Anime Oshi no Ko
Visitor Notes:
- Light shows may be canceled or rescheduled due to weather
- Please avoid prolonged filming or occupying space in ways that inconvenience other visitors
- Snow Miku and Oshi no Ko light shows are independent presentations
For more information about Odori Park Site 11, visit the official Sapporo Snow Festival website.
About COUGEN Technology
COUGEN (Kougen) is a lighting control system developed by Crypton Future Media that enables precise synchronization of LED lighting effects with musical beats. The system functions as a "MIDI to DMX converter," allowing musicians to control lighting using the same digital audio workstation (DAW) software they use for music production.
In January 2023, Crypton added an "Illumination Synthesizer" feature, enabling users to synthesize MIDI signals and output them as DMX signals, similar to how musicians create sounds with synthesizers.
For technical details and previous project examples, visit the COUGEN official website.
About Snow Miku
Snow Miku serves as a character ambassador for Hokkaido, created by Crypton Future Media. The character originated in 2010 when organizers created a pure white Hatsune Miku snow sculpture at the Sapporo Snow Festival.
Since then, Snow Miku has expanded its role to support various Hokkaido initiatives, participating in collaborations with businesses and other characters. The annual SNOW MIKU festival features the character in costume designs selected through public submissions based on yearly themes. The 2026 theme is "Shiawase Patisserie" (Happy Patisserie).
In September 2024, Snow Miku became an official Sapporo Tourism Ambassador, further cementing the character's role in promoting the city and region.
Learn more at the Snow Miku official website.
