Japan Matsuri, a free festival centred around Japanese culture and food, is back in Trafalgar Square this October.
Described as the 'best-loved' event of its kind in the UK, Japan Matsuri has been hosted in London since 2009, and Trafalgar Square since 2012. In 2025, it takes place on Sunday 4 October 2026, with its usual bonanza of stalls, workshops, demos, live music and dance.
What's more, the vast majority of things here are FREE.
2026's programme is still yet to drop, but happenings for 2025 included:
🍶 A grand opening ceremony, featuring the ceremonial opening of a sake barrel — followed by a mikoshi procession, which involves a shrine with a phoenix on top, carried around the Square.
🥁 Soran Bushi, a traditional festival dance accompanied by traditional taiko drumming from Rikkyo School in England .
🎤 Main stage performances from the likes of anime and videogame choir Ready Singer One; heavy metal shamisen player JERO11; J-pop dup Naomi Suzuki & Seika Itoh; plus plenty more taiko drumming.
🎭 An anime cosplay catwalk.
📻 Radio Taiso exercise routines.
🥋 Martial arts demonstrations and workshops (inc. Kendo, Aikido and Ryukyu Kobujyutsu).
🍣 A ton of food stalls, dishes including bao buns, matcha latte, rice balls, mochi, noodles, karaage fried chicken and katsu curry.
🇯🇵 Stalls from the likes of Central Japan Railway Company, Japan House London, the Japan Society and Nintendo.
🎎 Authentic Japanese prints, greeting cards and bookmarks to buy.
London's had something of an obsession with Japan since at least Victorian times, when a 'Japanese Village' was built in Knightsbridge. It's thought that almost 33,000 Japanese people live in London today.
Japan Matsuri, Trafalgar Square, 4 October 2026, free
