The Sapporo Snow Festival 2027: dates 4–11 February, three venues (Odori, Susukino, Tsudome), free entry, the best time to visit and how to dress for a Japanese winter.
A giant snow sculpture as tall as a five-storey building is lit by floodlights, fine dry snow falls around, and at your feet stretches the endless ribbon of Odori Park, along which dozens of smaller sculptures stand. The Sapporo Snow Festival began in 1950 with six snow statues made by schoolchildren, and today has grown into one of Japan’s grandest winter events — and entry to all the venues remains free.
How it all began
The first snow festival in Sapporo was held in 1950: six local schoolchildren made six sculptures in Odori Park. From 1955 members of the Self-Defense Forces from the neighbouring Makomanai base joined in, and it was they who built the first huge snow sculptures thanks to which the festival gained worldwide fame. Today the work on the giants takes weeks, and the sizes are impressive: some sculptures reach 15 metres in height and more than 25 metres in width.
The festival’s three venues
Odori is the main and longest: a kilometre and a half of park from the 1st to the 12th block. In 2027 five giant snow sculptures will be placed in the 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th and 10th blocks, with smaller works and art projects between them. Susukino is south of Odori, in the nightlife district: ice sculptures are displayed here, which look especially beautiful in the evening with illumination. Tsudome is the family venue farther from the centre: snow slides, tubing, a snow maze and a warm indoor zone; it operates roughly from 10:00 to 16:00.
Tickets and prices
Entry to all three venues is free. You pay only for food and drinks, souvenirs and the paid attractions at Tsudome. This makes the festival one of Japan’s most affordable winter events — but Sapporo itself gets more expensive in these days: hotels and air tickets for the festival dates are snapped up in advance, so it is worth booking the trip several months ahead.
When to come and how to avoid the crowd
To see the sculptures in their best condition, come in the first days of the festival: towards the end of the week the snow settles and the details blur. The fewest people are on weekday mornings from 7 to 9 or in the afternoon between 12 and 13. Odori Park is worth walking twice: by day — to make out the details, and in the evening — when the sculptures switch on their illumination and turn into a completely different spectacle.
How to dress
In Sapporo in February the temperature usually stays below zero, and you can slip on ice and packed snow all day. You need a warm hooded jacket, thermal underwear, a hat, gloves and shoes with a ribbed, non-slip sole — better insulated winter boots. Chemical hand and foot warmers are sold in any shop and make an evening walk far more pleasant.
What to try nearby
Sapporo is famous for the craft of gourmets: miso ramen, soup curry, seafood and the famous local Sapporo beer. At the Odori venue, stalls with hot food operate along the park — grilled crab, potatoes with butter and corn — perfect fuel for a walk in the frost. And after sunset it is worth going to one of the hot springs — an onsen — to warm up, as locals do.
FAQ
When will the festival be held in 2027? From 4 to 11 February.
How much is entry? Entry to all three venues is free; you pay only for food, souvenirs and the paid entertainment at Tsudome.
Which venue is the main one? Odori — a park 1.5 km long with giant snow sculptures.
When is it best to come? In the first days of the festival, on weekday mornings or afternoons, and best twice — by day and in the evening.
Can I go with children? Yes, for families there is the Tsudome venue with slides, tubes and a snow maze.
The festival’s dates, programme and venues may change — check current information on the official website before the trip.
