| Dates | First weekend of July |
| Opening Hours | All day |
| Contact | - |
| Location / Getting There | Located in West Sapporo in the suburb of Maruyama. It runs down 6 blocks adjacent to Maruyama subway station. Minami 1 Jo-dori Ave, 25-chōme-2 Minami 1 Jōnishi, Chūō-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0801 |
Street festivals in Japan are a fantastic look into Japanese culture and a great way to enjoy a day, taking in the sights, activities, and the local food. The Omotesando Street Festival is one of these festivals. This festival runs all day and can be found running the length of one of the main streets in the suburb of Maruyama, West Sapporo. It is on on the same day as the Sapporo Craft Beer Forest, which is not too far away. It’s a great idea to check out the Craft Beer Forest event and then finish the rest of the day at the Omotesando Street Festival!
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The day is a real family affair. There is a lot to see and do. Lining both sides of the streets, there are plenty of food stalls. It is here you can grab some local food and enjoy it with a beer, wine or non alcoholic drinks. Local food includes oysters, BBQ chicken, edamame (steamed beans), and shellfish, just to name a few. For the kids, there are magic shows, and game stalls to win a price. The cafes, bars, and restaurants are also open along this street, so its all happening here! On a beautiful sunny day, you can’t beat the street festival.
| Admission | Depending on show Usually from ¥1000 - ¥8000 per ticket |
| Opening Hours | Depending on show |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-520-2000 https://www.kitara-sapporo.or.jp/ |
| Notes | Concert hall, no parking, public transport available (near subway station), restaurant plus bar inside |
| Location / Getting There | Located in Nakajima Park. The hall is a 5 minute walk from Nakajima Koen subway station. 1-15 Nakajimakoen, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0931 |
One of the top concert halls in Sapporo
There are only a couple of concert halls in the city of Sapporo where you can see some great musicians and orchestras. The Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara is one of the best in the city and is synonymous with beautiful music. The venue can be found in the heart of Nakajima Park which is a beautiful and tranquil spot in itself. The concert hall mainly known as ‘Kitara’ was established in 1997. It is not only famous for its sound, but in the main concert hall there is a huge pipe organ which was built by Alfred Kern &Fils Manufacture D’Orgues.
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The pipe organ is modelled after the needle leaved trees of Hokkaido and has an impressive 4,976 pipes. Every year an exclusive organ player is invited from overseas to play. The concert hall consists a large main hall, a small chamber music hall, and rehearsal rooms. There is also a nursery room, restrooms, and museum shop located in the building. The large arena style hall has seating for up 2,008 audience members. To buy tickets and look at the monthly schedule, simply click on their website www.kitara-sapporo, where you can order online. If you are in the mood for a bit of classical music and a great show, Sapporo Concert Hall Kitara is a great hall!
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥500 - ¥700 per drink ¥500 - ¥800 food |
| Opening Hours | 18:00 - 2:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-520-8960 https://r.gnavi.co.jp/h805600/ |
| Notes | Rock bar, Seating 35, smoking, pool table (free), duke box, food available, all you can drink plan available no WiFi, live music underneath |
| Location / Getting There | 3 minute walk north from Nakajima Koen subway station. 〒064-0808 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 8 Jonishi, 4-422-51 8 • 4 Sound Building 1st floor |
Pool table area
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Bar area with screen
Whenever a band has a gig at Studio 810, Bar Stingray will live feed it on their screens in the bar area, so you can enjoy a drink and get an idea of which band is playing downstairs. When it comes to the beer menu, they have Sapporo and Carlsberg on tap. Bottled beers include Budweiser, Corona, Heineken, Suntory, and Asahi. They also have Japanese sakes from around Japan, such as Lotus and Mitake to enjoy, plus wines and spirits. The food menu includes usual bar fare, including hamburgers, spicy tacos, and duck pastrami. There is a party plan, and Bar Stingray can be rented out for group parties.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥600 per drink ¥1200 charge system Stage charge: First ¥1,000 (¥500 yen after the second) |
| Opening Hours | 19:00 - 2:00 Mon to Thu 19:00 - 3:30 Fri & Sat |
| Closed | *Sundays (event on last Sunday of the month) |
| Contact | 011-532-0114 |
| Notes | Show timetable 20:00 / 21:00 / 22:00 / 23:00 / 0:30 / 2:00 Seating 30, smoking available, no wifi |
| Location / Getting There | 5 minute walk from Susukino subway station 〒 064-0804 Hokkaido, Chuo Ward, Sapporo City Chuo Ward, Minami 4 West 2nd Street-8 Watabe Building 5F |
If you are looking for some good live music, Cross Roads is a great bar to check out. The bar is named after the cult classic movie ‘Crossroads’. Whereas the film has some epic guitar playing, so does this bar. Founded in 1998, you can enjoy music from the house band that is second to none. The musicians here are truly masters of their instruments, as they play cover songs from the 70’s rock era, from bands such as Eric Clapton, CCR, Eagles, Doobie Brothers, Journey, ZZ Top, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Chicago, Jeff Beck, Led Zeppelin, Bon Jovi and more!
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The house band
There is plenty of table seating, plus bar seating, where you can sit, drink, and enjoy the music, whether alone, on a date, or with a group. There is a stage charge system to see the band. It is ¥1000 for the first stage, and an extra ¥500 for following performances, which start at 20:00 and continue hourly. There is beer, wine, and spirits on the menu. Crossroads is also available to book for parties, and wedding parties. On Sundays, the space is available for musicians to hire for 30 minute shows, where equipment is provided.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ￥500 per drink *cost of entry depending on live show |
| Opening Hours | 17:00 - 24:00 |
| Closed | *days depending on live shows |
| Contact | 011-223-3554 http://vinnies.info/ |
| Notes | Live music venue Bar Recording studio |
| Location / Getting There | 10 minute walk from Naebo station 12 Chome-316 Kita 1 Jōhigashi, Chūō-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaidō 060-0031 |
Grab a beer
Vinnie’s bar is a small live music venue that often has live bands playing very week. The stage is reasonably large and there is enough seating for about 30 people plus standing room. The bar area sells beer on tap (Suntory), plus a variety of cocktails, non-alcohol beers, and non-alcohol cocktails. All drinks are ￥500 each. There is also a food menu that has some pastas and finger food. The live house has a good sound system and the music played is well mixed by the owner. For local bands, this is not a bad place to have a gig! 
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The Vinnie’s bar sign
Vinnie’s bar is slightly out of downtown Sapporo (it’s about a ￥1000 taxi fare), but this bar is part of a music studio, and it is also located underneath a bowling alley, so there is there is quite a lot do in this building. The bowling alley is called ‘Sapporo Olympia Bowl’ and is a good spot to get your bowling shoes on. There is plenty of parking for those driving. The music studio operates in tandem with the bar, and many bands that practice at the studio will often have a live show. For upcoming events at Vinnie’s bar please check the calendar on their site (in Japanese).
