2026’s Disneyland Halloween event sees two extra-special parts: a daytime parade, “The Villains’ Halloween ‘Into the Frenzy’,” and a nighttime fireworks show, “Night High Halloween.” That accompanies the Haunted Mansion “Holiday Nightmare” attraction, based on Tim Burton’s hit The Nightmare Before Christmas, which is open until January 2027.

“The Villains’ Halloween ‘Into the Frenzy’” 45-minute parade returns with key Disney Villains, including Dr. Facilier, The Evil Queen and Cruella De Vil. They’ll be joined by Mickey and his friends: favorites Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, and more. “Night High Halloween” lights up the sky with its five-minute Halloween-themed pyrotechnic display after the sun sets.

All aboard for Tokyo DisneySea’s Halloween spectacular. This year includes Mickey Mouse and friends helming a pumpkin-decked boat, with Lazos de la Familia paying tribute to Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), and Halloween-themed merchandise.

The Mickey Mouse trick-or-treat boat will appear at the Mediterranean Harbor to spread Halloween cheer, doling out treats to anyone who says “Trick or Treat!” and performing a dance for 15 minutes each time. The Lost River Delta section of the park will host Lazos de la Familia, with festive dances, decorations, and mariachi music.

Sanrio Puroland, best known for its abundance of Hello Kitty, hosts its Halloween event with a special guest this year: the incredibly viral Labubu. For the Halloween Parade, Hello Kitty will be joined by a Labubu mascot and characters such as MyMelody and Pompompurin to spread Halloween cheer through the park daily.

On October 31, the park holds an all-night mini music festival “Spooky Pumpkin” for big kids aged 20 and over, with 50 popular Japanese acts, such as Wednesday Campanella and Okamoto Reiji. Get loose in costume, enjoy greetings, alcohol, and dance to your new favorite acts under the Halloween moon.

(Notes: Images are for reference only. Information is current as of August 21, and may be updated without notice.)

Take part in an age-old tradition and dance at one of the most famous shrines in Japan: Sensoji, where its kagura (dancing platform) will be set up in front of the Kaminari gate, aka Kaminarimon. The gate is famous for the 3.7 meter-tall lantern that hangs from the top, inscribed with the Japanese characters for “thunder.” On the left-hand side of the gate is the god of thunder, and on the right is the wind god, guarding Sensoji from terrible weather and fire.

The Kaminari Bon Odori (lit. “bon dance”) draws thousands of keen dancers, who dress up in yukata (cotton kimono) to dance around the kagura and Namiki Street. Each year, the shrine releases the dances on its website for people to practice before they arrive. Every bon dance has a completely different repertoire of songs, and Sensoji is no different, with dances including a Tokyo-specific one, a Skytree one, and a Taito-ku dance.

The legendary Akasaka Hikawa Festival is normally held over three consecutive days in mid-September, but this year it adds an extra day to the calendar. The festival, dating back to the Edo period, is known for its floats, bon odori dances, and nighttime food stalls. The 2026 edition focuses on three pillars of the festival: the shrine mikoshi (shrine float), the local mikoshi, and the Akasaka Hikawa floats.

It sees a short, community–focused parade on September 15, followed by the main event from September 19–21. The latter period sees food stalls, activities, and dances. September 19 is an evening program with lights and food stalls, followed by a children’s procession on Saturday 20, with taiko drumming. The final day hosts the Shinkosai parade, featuring the famed Akasaka Hikawa floats, which are hundreds of years old and were recently restored to their elegant glory.

Established in 1706 during the Edo Period, the Nezu Shrine Annual Festival is one of Tokyo’s more popular fall festivals. The shrine grounds host sacred Shinto music and dance, traditional Edo dances, and energetic shrine processions. The festival highlight comes on the 27th, with an impressive procession including the shrine’s mikoshi.

Visitors can browse dozens of traditional festival food stalls while walking under the shrine’s famous iconic tunnel of red vermilion torii gates.

Roll up, roll up, for the Tokyo Grand Sumo Tournament, September edition. The Grand Sumo tournaments decide the overall sumo ranking for the year to come, so it’s all to wrestle for. There is no atmosphere quite like the sumo ring, where its fighters play out their games of the day. It’s highly ritualistic, and each small part of the ceremony has its own specific meaning.

Tickets for the Grand Sumo go on sale approximately 1.5 months in advance. Tickets may have sold out, but you can still watch it on TV or grab tickets at the link below to watch an intimate sumo training session at their official training ground.

The biggest tennis tournament in Asia sees stars take to the courts for a week-long tournament of hitting balls toward their opponents. An ATP 500 event, the men’s edition has been held since 1972 and is known as one of the most prestigious tennis tournaments in the region.

Last year it was won by Carlos Alcaraz, the world No. 1 and 2025 Japan Open champion, who is returning for 2026. Ben Shelton (US) will also play again this year, alongside heavy hitters such as Jack Draper and Taylor Fritz. 2026 will also mark the tour’s final appearance by Kei Nishikori.

This is your last chance to catch one of Australia’s most famous contemporary art exports, Ron Mueck. His second-ever show in Japan, co-organized with the Mori Art Museum, has been a huge success so far. The sculptor is known for his large-scale works that distort the viewers’ sense of perspective.

This show is Mueck’s first in Japan since 2008, and focuses on his large-scale art, much of which is being shown in Japan for the first time. Enjoy the surreal and mundane through Mueck’s eyes.

Experience the ancient secrets of Egypt after dark as Yokohama’s Tutankhamen Museum opens its doors for a heat-escaping Night Museum event throughout September. Supervised by Egyptian archaeologist Fuminori Kawae, this immersive exhibition lets visitors explore illuminated full-scale replicas of Tutankhamun’s royal tomb and treasures in atmospheric, dimmed galleries.

Guests embark on a nighttime riddle-solving challenge across the museum to crack seven mysteries of the young pharaoh, earning a special event eco-bag upon completion. Combining interactive storytelling, ambient lighting, and music by composer Kenji Kawai, it offers a thrilling evening outing for couples, friends, and families.

Last chance to catch the 25th anniversary of the Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone movie at the ever-popular Warner Bros. Studio Tour.

Visitors are treated to a Sorting Hat activity in the Great Hall, as well as extra displays, including exclusive behind-the-scenes demonstrations of how the invisibility cloak was made. There will also be special menus in the restaurant and limited-edition merchandise.

The Tokyo Game Show (TGS) — one of the most exciting events in gamers’ IRL calendars — is set to make a splash for its 30th anniversary, adding an extra day to the festivities. Developers and companies such as Sony, SEGA, Square Enix, and Capcom are set to host booths and talks. They’ll be joined by a host of local (and global) indie developers from across the world.

This year sees the addition of a free area: Family Game Park, where punters can enjoy playing and learning with games. With a cosplaying corner, immersive AR/VR setups and e-sports tournaments, punters will be spoilt for choice.

Every September, the Tonegawa Fireworks Festival launches roughly 30,000 fireworks into the autumn sky along the Tone River. One of the largest fireworks spectacles in the Kanto region, spectators come from far and wide to enjoy the show.

Synthesized with light shows and music soundtracks, the event features dramatic giant starmines and synchronized pyrotechnic choreography, as well as food stalls and entertainment. As one of the highlights in the fireworks calendar, it attracts four of Japan’s premier pyrotechnician groups.

The Kita Hanabi fireworks show is back on Arakawa, the river between Kawaguchi in Saitama Prefecture and Akabane in Tokyo. The latter is famed for its rowdy locals and fun drinking streets, so makes for a great place to unwind after the show.

This year, the show is themed around a story of Japanese rice wine. On fireworks duty is Marugo, who creates pyrotechnics from his factory in Yamanashi Prefecture, and Redcliff, Japan’s largest drone manufacturer, will provide 500 drones for the opening ceremony. There will be a food court open from 3 PM, serving a range of Japanese classics, such as yakisoba and chocolate bananas.