Tokyo Fireworks 2026: East Tokyo Dates, Spots & Access
By Atsushi — host at Bon House in Kanamachi, Katsushika ward. I've run Bon House since 2022 and hosted 300+ guest groups.
The last of the Tokyo fireworks in 2026 is the biggest surprise of the year: the Tokyo Bay Grand Fireworks Festival returns on Saturday, October 24, for the first time since 2015, with about 12,000 shells off Harumi Pier and every viewing seat sold by advance ticket.
The four big summer shows on Tokyo's east side have already run. Their 2026 dates, times and routes are below, because they are the best guide to planning next summer. I host guests in Kanamachi, in Katsushika ward, and these are the five festivals I send them to.
Tokyo Fireworks 2026 at a Glance
| Festival | 2026 date | Shells | From Kanamachi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adachi | Sat May 30 | ~13,000 | ~30 min |
| Sumida River | Sat Jul 25 | ~20,000 | ~30 min |
| Katsushika | Tue Jul 28 | ~20,000 | 20 min walk |
| Edogawa | Sat Aug 1 | ~14,000 | ~45 min |
| Tokyo Bay | Sat Oct 24 | ~12,000 | ~60 min |
Times are door to door from Kanamachi Station on a normal evening. On festival nights, add time at the destination station.
Tokyo Bay Fireworks 2026 — October 24, Ticket Only
When: Saturday, October 24, 17:30–19:00. Cancelled in bad weather, with no postponement date.
Where: Launched from the sea off Harumi Pier. Chuo and Minato wards are running it for their 80th anniversaries, so don't count on a 2027 edition.
Tickets: This is the big difference from the summer shows. Every viewing area is ticketed, there are no same-day tickets, and the organisers say you can't stop on pavements to watch. Public tickets are first come, first served on the official festival site until 10:00 on the day. Most public areas are in Toyosu and Ariake, across the water from Harumi. Unsold seats from the residents' areas are also open to anyone.
Access from Kanamachi: About an hour. Take the JR Joban Line local, which runs through onto the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line, to Hibiya. Change to the Yurakucho Line for Toyosu. The Ariake areas are a few stops further on the Yurikamome. Your ticket names your area, and the official site lists its nearest station.
October context: No mosquitoes, no sticky summer riverbank, and the show finishes at 19:00, so you are home at a normal dinner hour.
Sumida River Fireworks 2026 (隅田川花火大会) — July 25
When: Saturday, July 25, 19:00–20:30. No postponement date.
Where: Two launch sites. Site 1 is between Sakurabashi and Kototoi bridges. Site 2 is between Komagata and Umaya bridges, downstream from Asakusa.
Scale: About 20,000 shells across both sites, and the biggest crowd of any Tokyo fireworks show.
Access from Kanamachi: JR Joban Line local to Kita-Senju (about 10 minutes), then the Tsukuba Express or the Tobu Skytree Line to Asakusa. Around 30 minutes in total.
A calmer viewing spot: Skip the Asakusa crush and go to Higashi-Shirahige Park (東白鬚公園) in Sumida ward. From Kita-Senju, take a Tobu Skytree Line local three stops to Kanegafuchi, then walk 7 minutes. You are well upstream of Site 1, so the bursts look smaller than they do at Sakurabashi, but you get lawn space instead of a shoulder-to-shoulder street. It suits families with small children.
Crowd timing: If you want to be near Asakusa, arrive by 16:00. After 20:30, the streets around Asakusa Station stay jammed for a long time, so eat nearby and head for the train after 21:00.
For a daytime plan in the same area, see the Senso-ji and Asakusa guide.
Katsushika Fireworks 2026 (葛飾納涼花火大会) — July 28, Walkable from Kanamachi
When: Tuesday, July 28, 19:20–20:30. No postponement date in 2026.
Where: Shibamata Baseball Field on the Edogawa riverbed, Katsushika ward.
Scale: About 20,000 shells and a show of about 1,300 drones for the 60th edition.
This is the one I push hardest with Bon House guests. It's the only big Tokyo fireworks show you can walk to from here, and a Tuesday date keeps the weekend day-trippers away.
Access from Kanamachi: - Walk: about 20 minutes from JR or Keisei Kanamachi Station. - Train in: Keisei Kanamachi to Shibamata, one stop, 2–3 minutes, ¥146 on an IC card, then about 10 minutes on foot past Taishakuten Sando. - Quiet exit: Shin-Shibamata on the Hokuso Line is 15 minutes on foot and less crowded.
Seats: Paid riverbed seats went on general sale in mid-June through CN Playguide and sold out by mid-July. The free areas start right behind them. Be on the embankment by 17:00 for a clear view.
The full breakdown of seat types, free areas and the walk home is in the Katsushika Fireworks Festival guide. For the temple street on the way in, see the Shibamata travel guide.
Adachi Fireworks 2026 (足立の花火) — May 30
When: Saturday, May 30, 19:20–20:20. No postponement date.
Where: Arakawa riverbank, between the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line bridge and Nishiarai Bridge, Adachi ward.
Scale: About 13,000 shells in one hour. It is one of the densest shows of the year.
Access from Kanamachi: JR Joban Line local to Kita-Senju (about 10 minutes), then walk to the riverbank. Around 30 minutes in total.
Viewing tip: Adachi opens the Tokyo fireworks season in late May, before the summer heat, and the Arakawa riverbank is wide. Late May evenings by the river get cool, so bring a light jacket.
Edogawa Fireworks 2026 (江戸川区花火大会) — August 1
When: Saturday, August 1, 19:15–20:20. Cancelled in bad weather.
Where: Edogawa riverbank in front of Shinozaki Park, Edogawa ward. Ichikawa city fires from the Chiba bank at the same time.
Scale: About 14,000 shells.
Access from Kanamachi: Keisei Kanamachi to Keisei Takasago, Keisei Main Line to Keisei Yawata, walk to Motoyawata, then one stop on the Toei Shinjuku Line to Shinozaki. About 45 minutes, plus the 15-minute walk from Shinozaki Station to the riverbank. JR Koiwa is the other option, about 25 minutes on foot.
Practical note: You can't drive to it. Paid seats started from about ¥2,000 in 2026 and went on general sale in mid-June.
Why Kanamachi Works as a Base for Tokyo Fireworks Season
Four of the five festivals sit on the rivers of Tokyo's east side: the Sumida, the Arakawa and the Edogawa. Hotels around Shinjuku and Shibuya put you on the far side of the city from all of them. From Kanamachi, Adachi and Sumida are about 30 minutes away, and Katsushika is a walk.
That matters most after the show. A fireworks night ends with tens of thousands of people heading for the same station at 20:30. When home is one or two short train rides away, or a 20-minute walk, you can sit on your mat until the first wave clears and still be back before 22:00.
Bon House is a private tatami room for up to 4 people inside a house in Kanamachi, 7–10 minutes on foot from the station. It has its own bath and toilet, air conditioning, and a washer-dryer for clothes that have spent an evening on a humid riverbank. There's no kitchen, but the fridge, microwave and kettle keep drinks cold and cover a convenience-store dinner after the show.
If you're planning next summer's fireworks around one base, check Bon House availability and rates for your dates.
A Typical Fireworks Week in Late July from Kanamachi
Here is how a two-festival week usually works for a couple staying at Bon House, using the 2026 dates.
On Saturday, July 25, they leave around 17:00, take the JR Joban Line local to Kita-Senju and a Tobu Skytree Line local three stops to Kanegafuchi. Seven minutes later they are on the lawn at Higashi-Shirahige Park with food from a convenience store near the station. After 20:30 they wait out the rush, then do the same trip in reverse and are back in Kanamachi in about 30 minutes.
On Tuesday, July 28, they don't need a train. They change into yukata in the room, walk about 20 minutes to the Edogawa embankment, and have a mat down behind the paid seats by 17:00. After the last shell they walk home, put the day's clothes in the washer-dryer, and still have the cold drinks they left in the fridge.
That is two of the biggest Tokyo fireworks shows in four days, with no hotel change and no luggage on a crowded train.
Tokyo Fireworks Tips: What to Bring and When to Leave
What to bring: - IC card: a charged Suica or PASMO. Keisei and JR East gates don't take contactless bank cards, and you don't want a ticket-machine queue after the show. - Mat: a leisure sheet to sit on. Riverbanks have no seating outside the paid areas. - Insect repellent: the riverbanks in July and August have a lot of mosquitoes. - Cash: many food stalls are cash only. - Battery pack: maps and photos drain phones fast, and mobile data slows down in big crowds.
What to avoid: - Arriving at a Saturday festival after 18:00 and expecting a free spot near the launch site. - Heading straight for the station when the show ends. Wait 30 minutes. - Planning around a rain date. None of these five festivals had a postponement date in 2026, so bad weather means no show. Check the official site or X account on the afternoon of the festival.
For getting around on the day, the Tokyo train guide for foreigners covers IC cards and transfers.
FAQ
Is the Sumida River fireworks festival free?
Yes, watching from the streets and riverbanks is free. The festival also sells a limited number of sponsor seats; in 2026 they went on sale first come, first served on May 10. Riverside restaurants and hotels sell their own packages separately.
When are the 2027 Tokyo fireworks dates announced?
Usually in spring. Adachi has run on the last Saturday of May in recent years, and Sumida on the last Saturday of July. Paid seats for the summer shows go on sale in May and June and sell out within weeks, so set a reminder for spring.
Is there a Tokyo fireworks show in winter?
Not on the scale of the summer festivals. Tokyo Bay on October 24 is the last big show of 2026. Odaiba has run small winter fireworks on December Saturdays in past years, but check that year's schedule before planning around it.
Where should I stay for Tokyo fireworks?
On the east side, near the rivers. My comparison of Kanamachi and central Tokyo bases is in Where to Stay in Tokyo for Fireworks.
Bon House is a 20-minute walk from the Katsushika fireworks and about 30 minutes from Sumida and Adachi. See the room and check rates for next summer.