Now in its 30th year (the fifth time held in front of the station), Summer Festa IN KORIYAMA drew a cumulative 70,000 visitors over three days last year.
Koriyama, a city with the second-largest economy in the Tohoku region, hands over its main artery for the occasion: a 350-meter stretch of the street in front of Koriyama Station becomes a giant beer garden. The road, normally busy with traffic, fills instead with beer lovers for the duration of the event — a striking sight, and one of the largest beer gardens in eastern Japan.
Summer Festa IN KORIYAMA 2026 (Beer Festival) Overview
Dates: 2026
- July 24 (Fri): 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM
- July 25 (Sat): 3:00 PM – 9:00 PM
- July 26 (Sun): 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM
*Last order is 15 minutes before closing each day.
Location: Koriyama Station-mae Odori, Nakamachi Yume-dori, Omachi-dori, the JR Koriyama Station west exit plaza, and other nearby sites in Fukushima Prefecture
For more information, visit the official Summer Festa IN KORIYAMA site.
This year's highlights:
- New paid reserved seating (NEW)
- Koriyama's food scene gathers at the venue — 58 food stalls plus food trucks
- Two music stages featuring local artists
- Local specialty products and craft beer from Koriyama's sister and friendship cities at the station-front plaza
- Festival games and chalk art for families, Saturday and Sunday (NEW)
Cash, cashless payment, and advance tickets are all accepted, though the options vary by stall, and no entrance ticket is required. Some stalls do not accept cashless payment. Details on advance tickets are further below.
The symbolic "Big Beer" is a hugely popular photo spot.
Street performers also liven up the venue with their acts.
Gather with friends in front of Koriyama Station again this summer.
Feature 1: New Paid Reserved Seating (NEW)
"Beyond the crowds — the peace of mind of a seat to eat at."
The venue offers more than 2,000 seats already, but visitors said that still wasn't enough. So, paid reserved seating has been created on Nakamachi Yume-dori. Each table (seating one to six people) comes with a two-hour seat charge, ¥2,000 worth of vouchers, and a snack — a good-value package.
Early Seating: ¥8,000 per table (tax included)
- July 24 (Fri): 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM
- July 25 (Sat) & 26 (Sun): 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Night Seating: ¥10,000 per table (tax included)
- July 24 (Fri): 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
- July 25 (Sat) & 26 (Sun): 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
How to purchase: Available only through JRE MALL Tickets.
Feature 2: Koriyama's Food Scene Gathers at the Venue
Fifty-eight popular restaurants based in Koriyama, along with food trucks, join Summer Festa, serving signature dishes made with local ingredients. Exhibitor and menu information will be posted on the official site once it's ready.
Starting this year, the festival also plans to recruit "partner shops," mainly around the station area. After toasting at the outdoor festival, visitors will be able to head into an air-conditioned partner shop to cool off and keep the celebration going.
Local artists will deliver wonderful performances.
Feature 3: Two Music Stages
About 20 artists, mostly performers active in the local area, take the stage across a wide range of genres — from ska bands to jazz, Hawaiian music, and dance. Great live music is sure to make the food and beer taste even better.
Stages are set up in two locations — the street in front of the station and the JR Koriyama Station west exit plaza — so don't miss your favorite artist's set.
See the stage schedule for details.
*The stage schedule is subject to change without notice.
Feature 4: Local Specialties and Craft Beer from Sister and Friendship Cities
Nara City, a sister city of Koriyama, brings "Golden Rabbit Beer," and Tsukuba City, a friendship city, brings "Tsukuba Brewery" — rare finds that aren't easy to come by locally.
The west exit station plaza also serves "kaki-ichigo" (strawberry shaved ice), sausages, popular local craft beer, and other specialty products representing Koriyama and the wider Koriyama region. Unlike the main street, the station-front plaza offers a more relaxed, grown-up atmosphere.
The Firebonds will also lend their support on the day.
Feature 5: Family Fun — Festival Games and Chalk Art (NEW)
Summer Festa isn't just for adults. On Saturday and Sunday, a "festival games plaza" with shooting galleries, lottery games, and more will be set up for the whole family to enjoy, along with a "chalk art" activity — creating a fun summer memory for kids.
- Festival Games Plaza: July 25 (Sat) & 26 (Sun), at Elite Park 1 (inside the sponsor seating area)
- Chalk Art: July 25 (Sat) & 26 (Sun), on Omachi-dori
Reserved Seating and Advance Ticket Sales
Since last year, the festival has partnered with JR East: a limited quantity of the reserved seating described above, plus advance tickets, are sold through the JRE MALL ticket site, making it possible to buy Summer Festa IN KORIYAMA tickets from anywhere in Japan.
Reserved Seating (purchase only through JRE MALL Tickets): See Feature 1 above for details. On the day, give your name to staff at the reserved-seat reception tent.
Advance Tickets (purchase through JRE MALL Tickets, the Koriyama Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or the Koriyama City Mutual Aid Association): This year there is no bonus premium — ¥1,000 buys ¥1,000 worth of tickets. Tickets bought through JRE MALL arrive as a QR code by email; exchange it for physical tickets on the day at the View Hotel Annex front headquarters, or at the reserved-seat reception tent. Purchases are limited to those age 20 and over, up to 20 books (¥20,000 worth) per person. Purchased tickets can be used at the festival venue and at participating Beer Month shops for the full period, July 24 through August 31.
Purchase online through JRE MALL Tickets, or browse KORIYAMA SELECT by the Koriyama Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
There's no bonus premium this year, but tickets can be used at participating shops through August 31.
Highlights from Summer Festa IN KORIYAMA 2025 (last year):
The History of the Beer Festival (Summer Festa)
From September to October 1993, JETRO Fukushima organized a "Germany–France Convention Inspection Delegation." With then-mayor Eiji Fujimori serving as advisor and chamber chairman Zenbei Otaka leading the group, a total of 18 delegates — representing the local economy, politics, and prefectural government — toured Germany and France. During the trip, the delegation visited Oktoberfest, the world's largest beer festival, held in Munich, Germany. Every year, roughly 6.5 million visitors from around the world fill its sprawling 42-hectare grounds, packed with tents large and small, to enjoy cheerful Bavarian folk music with a beer stein in hand.
That grand event became the inspiration for starting something similar in Koriyama.
The first festival was held August 11–15, 1995, at Koriyama Culture Park, jointly with a giant Godzilla exhibition, drawing a hugely successful 81,083 visitors. The second festival moved to Koriyama General Gymnasium. The third (1997) through the 25th (2019) were held at Kaiseizan Park, where inviting a band from Germany for stage performances and toasts became a tradition. The festival was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the spread of COVID-19. From 2022, aimed at revitalizing the city and supporting local restaurants, it resumed in front of Koriyama Station after a three-year hiatus. In 2025 (last year), a cumulative 70,000 people attended over three days, with about half of weekend visitors coming from outside the city — growing into one of the largest summer festivals in the Tohoku region, and a showcase for Koriyama itself.
