Sapporo Snow Festival 2027: 77th Edition Set for Feb 4-11, Odori Confirmed
2026-10-25 ยท 7 min read
Japan's biggest winter festival returns in just over three months - and this edition shares Odori Park with the Sapporo International Art Festival for the first time.
The 77th Sapporo Snow Festival has been officially announced for Thursday, February 4 through Thursday, February 11, 2027. The Sapporo Tourism Organization released the dates on July 13 and the city has formally registered the venue list for all three sites.
The 2027 news is that Odori Park 2-chome - a historic sculpture spot - has been handed to the Sapporo International Art Festival 2027, which runs concurrently. That is the first time Yuki Matsuri has co-located with the triennial art festival.
โกโฉ๏ธ Festival weekends fill up fast
Hotels near major festivals are usually the first to go. Book as soon as you know your dates. If your first choice is gone, look one or two stops down the train line.
The three sites
- โOdori Park (Nishi 1 - Nishi 11-chome): main snow sculptures
- โTsudome (Sapporo Community Dome): family site with slides and snow play
- โSusukino (Ekimae-dori South 4 - South 6): ice sculpture contest
Odori layout
The 2027 outline calls for five large snow sculptures positioned at 4-chome, 5-chome, 7-chome, 8-chome, and 10-chome. The 2-chome Art Festival pavilion will slot in between them. Medium and small sculptures fill the remaining blocks. The themes for the five large pieces have not been published yet - the committee usually releases the official theme list in mid-December.
What is free
General admission to all three sites is free. There is no ticket. The committee will likely sell paid viewing-platform access for the opening-ceremony and closing-ceremony evenings only; those details drop in late December.
Access
Where to stay โ check live prices
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- โOdori: Odori Station (Namboku/Tozai/Toho lines) direct
- โTsudome: Sakaemachi Station + shuttle bus
- โSusukino: Susukino Station - direct onto Ekimae-dori
Book accommodation now: Sapporo hotels run 80-100% occupancy for the entire week. Lodging in Chitose, Otaru, or even Noboribetsu is usually your fallback by late November. Expect sub-zero daytime highs - this is the coldest Sapporo week of the year on average.
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Hotels โ check availability before rooms go
- โ Free cancellation on most rooms
- โ Compare 28M+ properties
- โ No booking fees
โฐ Lock in before prices rise โ this week's rates may not hold
JR Pass โ see if it pays off before you book
- โ 7, 14, 21-day pass options
- โ Activate within 1 year
- โ Free shipping worldwide
โฐ Must be bought BEFORE arrival โ tourists only
Japan eSIM โ set it up before you fly
- โ Works instantly on arrival
- โ No SIM card swap
- โ Buy before you fly
โฐ Activate the moment you land โ no more hunting for free airport Wi-Fi
Japan travel insurance โ get covered before you fly
- โ Covers Japan medical + evacuation
- โ From $45/month flexible
- โ Cancel anytime
โฐ Japan doesn't accept most foreign health cards โ one ER visit = your whole trip budget
Tours and tickets โ check dates before they sell out
- โ Skip-the-line e-tickets
- โ Mobile voucher, no printing
- โ Free cancellation up to 24h
โฐ Mobile voucher instantly โ skip the ticket line on arrival
Related Reading
โ First-time Japan trip: complete planning guideโ Japan 10-day Golden Route itinerary 2027โ Best time to visit Japan โ month-by-monthโ Is JR Pass worth it? Full 2027 cost breakdownโ eSIM for Japan: complete 2027 guide๐ ๏ธ Free travel tools
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