Gion Matsuri 2026: Guide to Kyoto Parade of Floats

Towering wooden floats rolling through Kyoto's narrow streets, and the sound of taiko drums echoing under the summer heat. Gion Matsuri is a thousand-year spectacle to fill your Japan trip in July with color, music, and festa fun. From the details about each event to the best viewing spots to fulfill the celebrations, check this guide below for everything you need to know about Gion Matsuri Kyoto 2026.

When is Gion Matsuri in Kyoto 2026

The Gion Matsuri will be held throughout July 2026. It is a month-long festival with main events taking place between July 14 to 17 (Saki Matsuri) and July 21 to 24 (Ato Matsuri).

For grand float processions (Yamaboko Junko), make your visit on July 17 or 24.

This centuries-old festival lights up Kyoto with parades and music, blending sacred rituals with joyful street life. Check the Gion Matsuri schedule for your reference:

Date	Main Event	Celebration
Jul 1-5	Kippuiri	Opening ritual for preparations, with prayers for safety and success
Jul 10	Mikoshi Arai	Welcome portable shrines with a lantern parade and sacred water
Jul 10-13	Floats Building	Float building and decorating
Jul 14-16	Yoiyam Evenings	Night stalls with street food, parties, and night performances
Jul 17	Yamaboko Junko	Grand parade of Yamaboko and Mikoshi from Yasaka Shrine
Jul 18-20	Floats Building	Float building and decorating
Jul 21-23	Yoiyam Evenings	Night stalls with street food, parties, and night performances
Jul 24	Yamaboko Junko	Smaller parade of Hanagasa and Mikoshi back to Yasaka Shrine
Jul 28	Mikoshi Arai	Return and purify the mikoshi with sacred water from the Kamo River

Kyoto's Weather in July

Catching the tail of Japan's rainy season, July in Kyoto is hot and humid, with daytime highs averaging 30 to 34°C (86 to 93°F) and a high humidity above 70%. You will expect intense sunshine, occasional showers, and warm evenings perfect for festival strolls.

Prepare well with light and breathable clothing. Linen, cotton, or moisture-wicking fabrics work best, or just follow the locals to wear yukata (summer kimono) during festival nights. Bring a foldable or mini-electric fan, a hat, and your water bottle, and wear comfortable sandals or sneakers - those games and performances along the bustling streets will make you linger.

What is Gion Matsuri

Along with Tenjin Matsuri, Kanda Matsuri, Gion Matsuri is one of Japan's Three Great Festivals, as well as one of Kyoto's most famous and longest-running summer festivals, with a dazzling display of tradition, faith, and craftsmanship that dates back over 1,100 years.

Originally held to appease the gods during an epidemic in 869, it evolved into a grand community celebration that honors the Yasaka Shrine deity, Susanoo-no-Mikoto, the protector against disease and disaster.

What Makes Gion Matsuri Special

The Gion festival has quite a long celebration lasting about a month, and the whole city becomes part of the stage, where lanterns glow, taiko drums echo, massive wooden floats process, and each neighborhood takes pride in its own float and rituals, ideal to take an authentic look into Kyoto's deeply rooted traditions.

More Facts About the Gion Festival

• There are 34 floats during the parade, with two types: hoko (halberd, carries halberds and spears for the purification ritual) at 11 and yama (mountain, with life-size Shinto and Buddhist deity figures) at 23.
• The iconic hoko floats can reach 25 meters tall and weigh up to 12 tons, while the smaller yama float (about 6 meters high) still needs about 20 people to carry, earning the nickname of moving art museums.
• These giant floats are assembled without nails; only traditional wooden joinery and ropes are used.
• A chosen boy serves as the divine messenger during the parade, symbolizing purity. He is carried in the wagon so that his feet never touch the ground.
• Locals say it takes an entire year of preparation for the one month of celebration.

What Highlights to Expect of Gion Matsuri

Yamaboko Junko - The Grand Parade

The heart of Gion Matsuri is the Yamaboko Junko, a magnificent procession of 34 giant wooden floats (each representing a neighborhood) decorated with centuries-old textiles and carvings, parading through downtown Kyoto with drums and flutes - catch those favors thrown from the floats as good fortune!

	Date	Time	Display	Procession Route
Saki Matsuri Parade	July 17	9 - 13	23 yama and hoko	Shijo - Kawaramachi - Oike Dori
Ato Matsuri Parade	July 24	9:30 - 11:50	the last 11 floats	Oike - Kawaramachi - Shijo Dori

Note: Arrive early or book a viewing seat in front of Kyoto City Hall in advance. While looking for fewer crowds for your better photo shoot, make the quieter Ato Matsuri Parade in the second half your main target.

Gion Matsuri Yamaboko Junko Course Map

Mikoshi Process - Carry Portable Shrines

While the floats steal the spotlight, the Mikoshi Procession is the festival's spiritual heartbeat. On the evenings (6 pm) of July 17 and 24, after the grand parades, portable shrines (mikoshi) from (or back to) Yasaka Shrine to Otabisho are carried through Kyoto's lantern-lit streets by chanting men dressed in traditional white robes and headbands.

Each mikoshi is said to carry the spirit of the shrine's deity, Susanoo-no-Mikoto, and its passage symbolizes purification and protection for the city - a vivid reminder that Gion Matsuri is not only beautiful, but deeply sacred.

Best viewing spots: Yasaka Shrine gate, Shijo Street between Yasaka Shrine & Kawaramachi, Gion side of Shijo-Ohashi Bridge

Yoiyama Evenings - Street Festival Nights

Gion Matsuri truly comes alive from July 14 to 16 and July 21 to 23, the yoiyama evenings, a few nights before each main parade, when streets in downtown Kyoto are closed to traffic; instead, sizzling food stalls line the streets around Shijo, Karasuma, and Kawaramachi, and locals wander under lanterns in colorful yukata.

Follow the aroma of yakitori and okonomiyaki drifting through the narrow alleys, grab a kakigori or cold drink, and blend into the flow of locals dressed in colorful yukata.

You can visit those yama and hoko floats up close, admire the handwoven fabrics with thousands of paper lanterns flickering to life, or even step aboard some of them.

Where to Join the Main Events

Most Gion Matsuri events happen around Shijo-Karasuma, Kawaramachi, and Yasaka Shrine, all central Kyoto locations, and many floats are within walking distance from Shijo and Karasuma Station (about a 5-minute train ride from Kyoto Station).

Note: though it is the "Gion" matsuri, the parade itself doesn't go through the Gion area. However, Gion is still the best place to enjoy festival snacks and yoiyama evenings, where streets around Yasaka Shrine and Hanamikoji-dōri become lantern-lit and filled with traditional music, one of the best spots for photo opportunities with Kyoto's classic backdrop.

Best Floats Viewing Spots of Gion Matsuri

• Shijo-Karasuma Intersection: where the parade begins with lining up floats and a lively atmosphere. Arrive before 7 am for a good view. (The nearby Daimaru Kyoto opens early for the unique top-down perspective)
• Shijo-Kawaramachi Intersection: the iconic turning corner to observe the traditional Tsuji-mawashi (float turning) technique. If possible, book a second-floor café seat in advance.
• Kyoto City Hall & Karasuma Oike: offer paid viewing seats of the Gion Matsuri procession, as well as a much wider street for your comfortable viewing and better spacing for photos.

More Attractions for Kyoto Summer Journey

Along the parade way, you'll find:

• Nishiki Market: Just steps away from the main float route, this covered food street is perfect for cooling down with matcha ice cream, Kyoto pickles, or yuba (tofu skin) snacks between festival events.
• Yasaka Shrine: The spiritual heart of the festival and the best place to feel its origins. Many locals visit Yasaka Shrine after the evening Mikoshi Procession. The shrine's soft glow and gentle chants create one of the most serene moments of Gion Matsuri.

Just a short walk or bus ride from the festival streets, you'll reach some of Kyoto's most iconic landmarks:

• Kiyomizu-dera Temple: Perched above the city, this UNESCO site offers sweeping views of Kyoto's summer haze.
• Maruyama Park: Right behind Yasaka Shrine, it's a cool green escape and a popular picnic spot during the festival.
• Hanamikoji Street, Gion District: If you wander here after sunset, rest at those traditional teahouses in Gion where you might glimpse geisha and maiko walking past.

If you have extra time during the festival week, go a little farther to extend your Kyoto summer adventure:

• Arashiyama Bamboo Grove: An early-morning stroll through the misty bamboo paths is pure serenity before the day heats up. You can also visit the Hozu River or take a scenic train ride through the mountains.
• Fushimi Inari Taisha: Famous for its thousands of red torii gates, this shrine feels especially spiritual during early morning or twilight. Bring water, it's a beautiful but warm climb!

Where to Stay During Gion Matsuri

Gion, Hanamikoji & Yasaka Shrine Area

The heart of the festival, where you'll wake up to Kyoto's old-world charm right outside your door. With narrow traditional streets, historical teahouses, lantern-lit evenings, and immediate access to the parade and evening festivities. Also, it can be lively (and busier) during the festival nights, so pick higher floors if possible.

• Recommended hotel: SOWAKA Kyoto

Central Downtown Kyoto: Shijo-Kawaramachi & Karasuma

Features modern amenities, excellent public transport links (subway, buses), wide shopping streets, and restaurants, perfect for families, groups, those who want comfort and convenience, yet still be close enough to the festival events.

• Recommended hotel: Hotel Okura Kyoto

Near Kyoto Station: Shimogyo-ku & Minami-ku

A calmer base with excellent access if arriving by Shinkansen or leaving early; more budget-friendly options, and if you prefer a little more space; less festival hustle in the immediate area, ideal for a more relaxed portion of your stay.

Note: Rooms near festival zones fill quickly. Feel free to contact us for your ideal rooms and summer Kyoto trip itinerary

Other Summer Japan Festivals You May Also Like

• Obon, Japanese Ghost Festival: A mid-August festival when families honor ancestors through lanterns, dances (Bon Odori), and memorial fires, including the daimonji mountain bonfires in Kyoto.
• Tanabata, Japanese Star Festival: Based on a celestial love story, people write wishes on colorful papers and hang them on bamboo trees - it just seems like a summer Christmas in Japan.
• Aomori Nebuta Festival: Northern Japan's electrifying summer event with various paper floats, where you can watch giant illuminated warrior floats parade through the streets.
• Fireworks Festivals: From Tokyo's Sumida River Fireworks to Lake Biwa's grand show, summer is the season of night skies painted in color.