SORAIRO LANTERN FES 2026 Christmas Edition will be held on Saturday, December 19, 2026, just before Christmas, in the north area of Naniwa Palace Ruins Park "Nanoniwa" (難波宮跡公園「なノにわ」) in Chuo Ward, Osaka. The event is organized by SBI MUSIC CIRCUS and planned, produced, and run by TryHard Japan.
The venue is a historic site that conveys the history of an ancient capital. Under the theme "On the holy night, send your feelings to the sky," the event features a simultaneous show of 500 sky lanterns, along with "CHRISTMAS LETTER," a participatory program in which letters written at the venue are delivered on Christmas Day, December 25.
A Christmas live stage, a bubble show, a market, and a light workshop are also planned, and about 3,000 visitors are expected. Aimed at bringing more people to the park in winter, the event is meant to add some activity to the Osaka Castle area on the weekend before Christmas through an experience of putting feelings for someone dear into form.
Admission is free. Some content, including the sky lanterns, requires a fee.
Official website: https://www.tryhardjapanevent.com/sorairo-lantern-fes
Event Overview
- Event name: SORAIRO LANTERN FES 2026 Christmas Edition
- Date and time: Saturday, December 19, 2026, 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM
- Sky lantern distribution: 6:00 PM to 6:45 PM
- Sky lantern launch: 7:00 PM (ends at 7:30 PM)
- Expected attendance: Approximately 3,000 people
- Venue: Naniwa Palace Ruins Park "Nanoniwa" (難波宮跡公園「なノにわ」), north area
- Address: 3-65 Babacho, Chuo Ward, Osaka (〒540-0007)
- Admission: Free (some content requires a fee)
- Organizer: SBI MUSIC CIRCUS
- Planning, production, and operation: TryHard Japan
- Sky lantern sales: From 10:00 AM on Tuesday, November 10, via e-plus (イープラス)
- Official website: https://www.tryhardjapanevent.com/sorairo-lantern-fes
Event details are subject to change.
A Christmas Finale With 500 Sky Lanterns
The finale of the event is a simultaneous show of 500 sky lanterns in the night sky. Each participant holds a lantern carrying a wish or a message and raises it together with everyone else on the countdown, spreading colorful light across the winter night sky.
- Distribution: 6:00 PM to 6:45 PM
- Launch: 7:00 PM
- Launch ends: 7:30 PM
Visitors can share the moment with family, friends, or partners. The lanterns are planned to be LED lanterns tethered with string, with safety in mind.
Sky Lantern Participation Fee (per lantern)
| Ticket type | Price |
|---|---|
| Advance | ¥4,500 (tax included) |
| General | ¥5,000 (tax included) |
| Day-of | ¥5,500 (tax included) |
- Sales start: 10:00 AM on Tuesday, November 10
- Sold through: e-plus (イープラス)
- Purchase and notes: Available on the official website at https://www.tryhardjapanevent.com/sorairo-lantern-fes
Sales are limited to 500 lanterns. If advance sales sell out, no day-of tickets will be sold. The program may be changed or canceled depending on the weather and other conditions.
Christmas Live Stage and Bubbles
CHRISTMAS LIVE STAGE
Illustrative image of the planned presentation.
The live stage offers a range of performances to set the Christmas mood, including artists singing while playing their own instruments and street performances. From relaxed live music to acts that make passersby stop and watch, music and entertainment fill the venue.
BUBBLE
Illustrative image of the planned presentation.
A Christmas-only bubble show will be held. Bubbles of many sizes drift up into the night sky and sparkle in rainbow colors in the lights of the venue. The show is meant for both children and adults.
Christmas Market
Illustrative image of the planned presentation.
A Christmas market with seasonal food and drinks and handmade goods will be set up at the venue. Visitors can shop with a warm drink in hand or look for a gift for someone special. Garlands, ornaments, and string lights decorate the venue.
Hands-On Christmas Activities
CHRISTMAS LETTER: Feelings Delivered on December 25
Illustrative image of the planned presentation.
"CHRISTMAS LETTER" is a Christmas-only participatory program in which visitors put thoughts of gratitude, which are often hard to express in daily life, or feelings for someone dear into a handwritten letter.
At the venue, participants write a message on special stationery and drop it into a special mailbox. The collected letters are scheduled to be delivered on Christmas Day, Friday, December 25, using a designated-delivery-date service. The letters can be addressed to family, a partner, or friends. In an age when digital communication is part of daily life, the program offers a chance to convey feelings in handwritten words. The time spent choosing words while thinking of the recipient is also meant to become a Christmas memory.
- Participation fee: ¥300 (tax and postage included)
Delivery dates may differ depending on the delivery area and other factors.
CHRISTMAS LIGHT WORKSHOP
Illustrative image of the planned presentation.
In this workshop, participants combine LED lights and Christmas decorations to make their own glowing Christmas bottle. Participants choose their favorite decorations to create an original piece, and the finished bottle can be taken home.
- Participation fee: ¥800 (tax included)
Glow Goods
Glowing goods such as LED accessories are also planned for sale.
About the Venue
Naniwa Palace was the site of a capital established after the Taika Reform (大化の改新). The event takes place in Naniwa Palace Ruins Park "Nanoniwa" (難波宮跡公園「なノにわ」), which conveys that history today, and aims to encourage use of the park in winter and to bring new visitors on winter nights. By drawing visitors to nearby shops on the weekend leading into Christmas shopping season, it also aims to add to the activity of the whole Osaka Castle area.
The event was planned out of a wish for people to spend the weekend before Christmas thinking of someone dear to them and putting those feelings into form. Through the sky lanterns and the experience of sending letters, we hope to create lasting Christmas memories and to send out a new winter tradition for Osaka from Naniwa Palace Ruins Park.
SBI MUSIC CIRCUS
