February in Sapporo, when snow is piled into buildings and shaped into slides.
Sapporo Snow Festival 2027
Sapporo Snow Festival 2027 is the 77th edition, running from 4 to 11 February at three sites at once, all free to enter. Odori Park runs from West 1 to West 11 chome: five large snow sculptures stand at 4, 5, 7, 8 and 10 chome, 11 chome hosts the International Snow Sculpture Contest and 2 chome is given to the Sapporo International Art Festival 2027; Susukino is for ice sculptures and Tsudome for playing in the snow. Details for each site arrive in mid-December (checked 2 October), so the works and activities below are 2026 examples.
Odori Park, Tsudome and Susukino2027.02.04 — 2027.02.11Festivals & traditionsFree admission
FIND YOUR REASON
What draws you to this experience?
01
2026: five giant sculptures, from a Jomon figurine to Star Wars
Last year’s large sculptures at Odori included Hokkaido’s national-treasure hollow clay figurine, Hokkaido University’s Furukawa Hall, Aizu’s Tsurugajo Castle, a thoroughbred racehorse and Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.
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Each stood several storeys high. By day you can see the carving marks; after dark the lights change the outlines and shadows, which is why they are worth seeing twice.
Festivals & traditions
02
The International Snow Sculpture Contest: a block of snow becomes a sculpture
11 chome is home to the International Snow Sculpture Contest. In 2026, its 50th year, ten teams from Austria, Finland and Mongolia to Singapore and Thailand carved their blocks of snow on site from 3 to 6 February.
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Go in the first days of the festival and you watch the shapes being cut away; go later and you see the finished works.
Festivals & traditions
03
Ice at Susukino, snow at Tsudome
Susukino is for ice: in 2026, 60 ice sculptures lined Ekimae-dori, some with fish frozen inside; in the evening the street becomes pedestrian-only, so you can walk right up and watch the light pass through the ice.
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Tsudome is for moving: in 2026 it had a big tube slide, snow rafts and a snow maze, plus a giant indoor slide and hot food, and children can play there until 4pm.
2027-02-04 to 02-11 at all three sites. Tsudome is open 10am–4pm daily; Odori is lit until 10pm; other times follow the official update in mid-December.
Asia/TokyoMore programme details
2026: five giant sculptures, from a Jomon figurine to Star Wars
The International Snow Sculpture Contest: a block of snow becomes a sculpture
Ice at Susukino, snow at Tsudome
02
Venue & travel
Odori Park, Tsudome and Susukino
The Odori site is around Odori subway station; the Susukino site runs along Ekimae-dori from Minami 4 to Minami 6, near Susukino station. Tsudome is in Higashi ward: take the Toho line to Sakaemachi, then walk 15 minutes or take the festival shuttle bus.
03
Entry & companions
None of the three sites needs a ticket. Tsudome’s attractions require a hat and gloves, and some may stop taking riders early when it is busy; Tsudome is entirely non-smoking, with no smoking area.
04
Tickets & access
Free admission to all three sites
Welfare volunteers assist visitors at the Odori site; anyone who needs help can apply through the enquiries page of the official site.
Sources & image credits
Dates and entry details refer to this edition; individual sessions may differ.
The 2027 dates and the Odori site layout are published; each site’s works and activities are updated in mid-December, and the works described are 2026 examples.
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