For the first time in the 2020s, Japan¡¯s summer music festival calendar looks normal.
During the first few years of the COVID-19 pandemic, large-scale gatherings were postponed or canceled, delivering a major blow to the country¡¯s music industry. And when events started making their return, something felt off. Hampered by lower capacities and rules like ¡°no cheering,¡± the communal thrills such festivals usually bring were missing. That, though, was a necessity ¡ª a health precaution as well as a way to keep the media eager to spot any festival slipups at bay.
Thankfully, the happy vibes ¡ª and a sense of freedom ¡ª are back in 2023, with relaxed regulations and dozens of regional and genre-specific live-music events happening over the next three months. It¡¯s safe to call this the true return of summer music festivals, with a surplus of options to fill up the season.
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