2027 Sapporo Snow Festival Runs for Eight Days from February 4; 77th Edition at Odori, Tsudome and Susukino

Sapporo’s winter festival, the “2027 Sapporo Snow Festival (77th),” will be held for eight days from Thursday, February 4 to Thursday, February 11 (a public holiday), 2027. There are three sites: the Odori Site (Odori Park, West 1-chome to West 11-chome), the Tsudome Site and the Susukino Site, and the official website shows the same dates for all three. At the Odori Site, five large snow sculptures will be the centerpiece, along with medium and small snow sculptures and winter attractions. Admission to all sites is free.

From six snow sculptures in 1950 to the 77th edition; a new concept, “Blessed by the Snow”

According to the timeline on the official website, the festival began in 1950, when students from three high schools and two junior high schools in the city displayed six snow sculptures at the Odori 7-chome square, then a snow dumping site for residents. The International Snow Sculpture Contest began in 1974; in 1983 Susukino became the third site, focused on ice sculptures, and in 2009 the second site moved to Tsudome. The 2026 edition (76th) drew 2,539,000 visitors, up from 2,327,000 the previous year (2025) (according to the organizers).

In 2027, the way the festival presents itself is also changing. On August 21, 2026, as part of a rebranding, a new logo, the character “SAPORON” and this year’s poster were announced on the official website. The new concept is “A Thanksgiving for Snow – Blessed by the Snow –.” It rests on the view that snow, often regarded as a “nuisance” in daily life, colors the city and draws people from around the world. The festival aims to deepen cooperation with residents, visitors and companies and evolve into a sustainable event.

Odori, Tsudome and Susukino: what snow sculptures can visitors see?

The layout of the Odori Site is set block by block. 1-chome hosts winter attractions and more, 3-chome small snow sculptures and more, 4-, 5-, 7-, 8- and 10-chome large snow sculptures, 6- and 9-chome medium and small snow sculptures and more, and 11-chome the International Snow Sculpture Contest and more. 2-chome is a venue for the Sapporo International Art Festival 2027, which opens on January 16. The International Snow Sculpture Contest in 11-chome marked its 50th edition the previous year (2026), with 10 teams from around the world taking part.

The Tsudome Site is held at the Sapporo Community Dome “Tsudome,” open 10:00–16:00. Depending on crowding, some attractions may stop accepting visitors early. The Susukino Site is on Ekimae-dori between Minami 4-jo-dori and Minami 6-jo-dori. From Friday, February 12 to Sunday, February 14, right after the festival, the special partner event “Sapporo Snow Sports Park 2027” will be held at the Daiwa House PREMIST DOME site.

The themes of the large snow sculptures and details of each site had not been announced as of October 20. The pages for each site say the 2027 details will be posted from mid-December 2026.

Nighttime light-ups and projection mapping?

According to the official website, the Odori Site is a park, so it can be visited at any time during the festival, with light-ups until 22:00. The ice sculptures at the Susukino Site can also be seen at any time during the festival, and the FAQ says they are lit until 23:00 (22:00 on the final day).

Whether there will be light shows in 2027 has not yet been announced. The previous year (2026), projection mapping was shown at night on the large snow sculpture “Thoroughbred Crowned in Glory” in Odori 5-chome. The medium snow sculpture “SNOW MIKU Sweet Snow Ver.” in 11-chome was lit in sync with its theme song. The lighting used “COUGEN,” an application developed by Crypton Future Media that controls DMX lighting directly from MIDI music (according to the 2026 program on the official website).

Access and preparing for the cold

The nearest stations are Odori Station on the Namboku, Tozai and Toho subway lines for the Odori Site, and Susukino Station on the Namboku Line for the Susukino Site. For the Tsudome Site, shuttle buses run from Sakaemachi Station on the Toho Line, and it is also about a 15-minute walk.

The FAQ on the official website recommends layering shirts and sweaters and wearing a proper outer layer such as an overcoat or a winter jacket on top. Roads are often frozen, and without winter shoes with grooved soles you are likely to slip. Slip-on traction devices for shoes can be bought for about 1,000 yen each. To prevent collapse accidents, the snow and ice sculptures are demolished the morning after the festival ends.

Editor’s perspective

The 2027 Snow Festival will be the first held under the new logo and concept. The idea of reframing snow not as a “nuisance” but as something of value also overlaps with the theme of the Sapporo International Art Festival 2027. The art festival, held at the same time, likens Sapporo to a single planet, “Planet Snow.”

On the other hand, announcements of what visitors will actually see, such as the themes of the large snow sculptures and any light shows, are still to come. Sapporo’s winter light events are introduced in our article on Sapporo White Illumination 2026, and winter events across Japan in [2026–2027] Winter Illuminations and Light Festivals Across Japan.

Overview

Name: 2027 Sapporo Snow Festival (77th)
Dates: Thursday, February 4 – Thursday, February 11 (public holiday), 2027 (8 days; same for the Odori, Tsudome and Susukino sites)
Hours: The Odori and Susukino sites can be visited at any time during the festival (light-ups at the Odori Site until 22:00). Tsudome Site 10:00–16:00
Venues: Odori Site (Odori Park, West 1-chome to West 11-chome), Tsudome Site (Sapporo Community Dome “Tsudome”), Susukino Site (Ekimae-dori between Minami 4-jo-dori and Minami 6-jo-dori)
Admission: Free at all sites
Special partner event: Sapporo Snow Sports Park 2027 (Daiwa House PREMIST DOME site, Friday, February 12 – Sunday, February 14, 2027)
Organizer: Sapporo Snow Festival Executive Committee
Official website: https://www.snowfes.com/
*Information as of October 20, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

Winter light and snow events in Tohoku and Hokkaido are organized in our roundup of winter illuminations and snow lights in Tohoku and Hokkaido.

*Top image: The Odori Site of the Snow Festival seen from Sapporo TV Tower (2007) (photo: Eckhard Pecher, CC BY 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on press materials from the Sapporo Snow Festival Executive Committee (July 13 and August 21, 2026) and information on the official website.

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team