Key Takeaways
- The 77th Sapporo Snow Festival runs Thursday 4 to Thursday 11 February 2027. The organiser confirmed the dates in July 2026, and all three sites (Odori, Susukino and Tsudome) share them.
- Entry is free at every site. Odori is lit until 22:00, Susukino until 23:00, and Tsudome opens 10:00 to 16:00.
- About 3.9 million visits were counted across the three sites in 2026, by the organisers' own figures: 1.93 million at Odori, 1.38 million at Susukino and 613,000 at Tsudome.
- The festival has one weekend, and it lands on Lunar New Year. Saturday 6 February 2027 is Lunar New Year's Day, and Taiwan's 7-day holiday (4 to 10 February) sits inside the festival. That Saturday night is the one to book first.
- The 2027 sculpture line-up isn't out yet. The organiser posts maps and themes from mid-December 2026, so book the room now and plan the details later.
The 2027 Sapporo Snow Festival runs for 8 days, from Thursday 4 to Thursday 11 February 2027, across three free sites: Odori Park for the giant snow sculptures, Susukino for ice sculptures at night, and Tsudome for snow slides. In 2026 the three sites counted about 3.9 million visits between them, and 2027's only weekend falls on Lunar New Year.
We built this trip in Navoy: a 5-day Sapporo Snow Festival plan, 5 to 9 February 2027.
When is the Sapporo Snow Festival 2027?
Thursday 4 February to Thursday 11 February 2027, 8 days in total. This is the 77th edition, and the organising committee published the dates on 13 July 2026. All three sites run on the same dates, as they did in 2026, and the last day, 11 February, is a Japanese national holiday.
Here is what each site offers, with the hours the organiser publishes and the nearest subway stop.
| Site | Dates 2027 | Hours | What it is | Nearest station |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odori | 4 to 11 Feb | Open all day, lit until 22:00 | 5 giant snow sculptures, smaller sculptures, the international contest | Odori (Namboku, Tozai, Toho lines) |
| Susukino | 4 to 11 Feb | Open all day, lit until 23:00 (22:00 on 11 Feb) | Ice sculptures along the main street | Susukino (Namboku line) |
| Tsudome | 4 to 11 Feb | 10:00 to 16:00 | Snow slides, snow rafting, indoor food court | Sakaemachi (Toho line), then shuttle bus or a 15-minute walk |
One more date worth knowing: a separate linked event, Sapporo Snow Sports Park 2027, runs at the Daiwa House Premist Dome from 12 to 14 February, straight after the festival closes.
What isn't published yet: the sculpture themes, site maps and event schedule. Every site page on the official website says the 2027 details will go up from mid-December 2026. Anything you read today about specific 2027 sculptures is a guess.
Which night should you book first?
Saturday 6 February 2027. It is the festival's only Saturday, it is Lunar New Year's Day, and it falls inside Taiwan's official 7-day holiday (4 to 10 February). In 2026 the organiser's own report singled out the Saturday as the day Odori was very crowded. Weeknights are the better bet if your dates can move.
This is the detail that shapes the trip, and most guides skip it. Look at the calendar:
- 4 February (Thursday): festival opens. Taiwan's Lunar New Year break also begins.
- 6 to 7 February (weekend): the only weekend of the festival. Saturday is Lunar New Year's Day. Hong Kong's public holidays are 6, 8 and 9 February.
- 11 February (Thursday): final day, and a Japanese national holiday.
The 2026 festival gives a hint of what that does. The organiser's results report says that at Odori, snow kept numbers down on the Friday and Sunday, while the Saturday had good weather all day and drew very large crowds. It also notes many overseas visitors from Asia, Europe, the US and Australia, helped by recovering international flights into New Chitose.
We can't give you a sell-out date, because nobody publishes reliable hotel occupancy for festival week. What we can say is that the pressure is concentrated on one weekend that, in 2027, is also a major holiday across much of East Asia. Mainland China's official 2027 holiday schedule had not been published when we checked on 2 October 2026. For what closes and what stays open around the holiday, see our guide to travelling in Asia during Chinese New Year 2027.
Planning around the Saturday? Check what's left for your night in Sapporo before the 2027 line-up is announced in December.
How many people go to the Sapporo Snow Festival?
In 2026 the organisers counted 1,926,000 visits at Odori, 1,378,000 at Susukino and 613,000 at Tsudome: about 3.9 million in total. Odori and Tsudome together grew 9.1% on 2025, and Susukino grew 35% even though its site was cut to two-thirds of its previous size.
The figure usually quoted, including on the festival's own Odori page, is "over 2 million" visitors. The main organiser's 2026 results report reaches about 2.5 million from Odori and Tsudome alone. Susukino's ice site is run by a separate committee and reports its own count, which pushes the combined total close to 4 million. One caveat: these count visits per site, so someone who walks Odori and then Susukino is counted twice.
| Site | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Odori | 1,763,000 | 1,770,000 | 1,926,000 |
| Susukino | 1,136,000 | 1,022,000 | 1,378,000 |
| Tsudome | 626,000 | 557,000 | 613,000 |
| All three sites (our sum) | 3,525,000 | 3,349,000 | 3,917,000 |
About 210 snow and ice sculptures were built across the sites in 2026, according to the official FAQ.
What can you see at Odori Park?
Odori is the main site: the park from West 1 to West 11 blocks in central Sapporo. In 2027 the five giant snow sculptures stand at blocks 4, 5, 7, 8 and 10, with the International Snow Sculpture Contest at block 11. In 2026, projection mapping ran on two of the giants every evening from 17:30.
The organiser's 2027 layout, block by block:
- Block 1: winter attractions
- Block 2: Sapporo International Art Festival 2027
- Block 3: small snow sculptures
- Blocks 4, 5, 7, 8 and 10: the five large sculptures
- Blocks 6 and 9: medium and small sculptures
- Block 11: International Snow Sculpture Contest
The giant sculptures are built by a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force support unit and a festival committee. Snow hauling starts on 7 January and the carving takes about a month, which is why the site can't be visited before opening day.
The festival itself started small. In 1950 local school students put six snow statues in Odori Park and about 50,000 people came to look.
When to go: see Odori twice, once in daylight for the detail and once after dark, when the lights and projection shows take over.
Where are the ice sculptures in Sapporo?
At the Susukino site, on Ekimae-dori (the main avenue) between the Minami 4-jo and Minami 6-jo blocks, in Sapporo's nightlife district. In 2026 it showed 60 ice sculptures, including its well-known sculptures with fish frozen inside, and they are lit until 23:00.
Susukino is the site to save for the evening. The ice is lit against the neon of the district, the restaurants are a few steps away, and it stays lit later than any other part of the festival. On the final night the lights go off at 22:00.
In 2026 parts of the street were closed to traffic in the afternoon and evening on weekdays and from 10:00 at the weekend, so you could walk right up to the sculptures. The 2027 traffic schedule isn't published yet.
What is there to do at the Tsudome site?
Tsudome is the family site: snow slides, snow rafting and snow play outside, with an indoor food court and rest areas. It opens 10:00 to 16:00 and sits in the east of the city, a shuttle bus or 15-minute walk from Sakaemachi subway station. There is no public parking.
The 2026 programme gives a fair idea of what to expect:
- Tube slides, which hand out numbered tickets on weekends and holidays (in 2026: 1,500 tickets from 10:00, then 500 more at 12:00 and another 500 at 14:00)
- Snow Raft, a raft towed across the snow by a snowmobile: ¥1,200 for adults and ¥600 for primary-school age and under in 2026
- A sledging slope with sledges to borrow, an ice slide and snow play areas
Hats and gloves are required on the attractions. If you are going with children on 6 or 7 February, arrive before 10:00.
How cold is Sapporo in February?
Cold, and below freezing on average. The Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991 to 2020 normals for Sapporo in February are a mean of -2.7°C, an average daily high of 0.4°C and an average low of -6.2°C. Late January to early February is the coldest part of Sapporo's year.
You will spend hours outside, so dress in layers under a proper winter coat, with a hat, ear covers and gloves. The organiser's practical advice is mostly about your feet: pavements freeze, and ordinary soles slip. Clip-on shoe grips cost about ¥1,000 at the official shop on Odori, convenience stores and station kiosks, and the official shop lends walking sticks free.
How do you get to Sapporo for the Snow Festival?
Fly into New Chitose Airport (CTS) and take the train. JR Hokkaido runs six Airport Trains an hour to Sapporo Station between 9:00 and 16:00: one Special Rapid (fastest 33 minutes), three Rapids (fastest 37 minutes) and two Semi-Rapids (fastest 43 minutes). IC cards such as Suica work at the gates.
From Sapporo Station, Odori and Susukino are a short subway ride, and Tsudome is on the Toho line to Sakaemachi. On a standard train every car except car 4 is non-reserved and needs no booking.
Still deciding when to buy? Our guide to the January flight booking peak covers the timing.
Ready to price it? Search flights to New Chitose (CTS), 5 to 9 February.
How much more do Sapporo hotels cost during the Snow Festival?
A bit over twice a normal Saturday. When we searched Sapporo on Navoy on 2 October 2026, the cheapest room for two on Saturday 6 February 2027 was $135, against $63 three weeks later on Saturday 27 February. The median of the 12 cheapest rooms was $216 versus $92.
| Room for 2 adults, 1 night | Sat 6 Feb 2027 | Sat 27 Feb 2027 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheapest room available | $135 | $63 | 2.1x |
| Median of the 12 cheapest | $216 | $92 | 2.3x |
| Median of 12 top-rated picks | $336 | $143 | 2.3x |
Both are winter Saturdays in the same snow season, so the gap is the festival and Lunar New Year, not the weather. If your dates can move, a weeknight inside the festival is the cheaper way to see the same sculptures.
How we measured: live Navoy hotel search, one room, two adults, one night, prices in US dollars including taxes and fees as shown, both nights checked the same day. Prices move daily, so treat these as a snapshot, not a quote.
Check your festival night: compare Sapporo hotels for 4 to 11 February.
Before you compare totals, check what a quoted room price leaves out. Our guide to hotel fees that are not in the price shows what to look for.
Plan this trip
- See the trip we built: a 5-day Sapporo Snow Festival plan, 5 to 9 February 2027
- Plan your own for free: tell Navoy your dates and budget and it builds the itinerary. The free plan covers up to three trips of up to 14 days each. Start free
- Hotels in Sapporo: compare live prices
- Flights to Sapporo: search flights to New Chitose CTS, 5 to 9 February
- Adding more of Japan: browse hotels across Japan
Frequently asked questions
When is the Sapporo Snow Festival 2027?
From Thursday 4 February to Thursday 11 February 2027, 8 days. It is the 77th festival. The organising committee confirmed the dates on 13 July 2026, and all three sites, Odori, Susukino and Tsudome, run on the same dates. The final day, 11 February, is a Japanese national holiday.
Is the Sapporo Snow Festival free?
Yes. The official site states that entry is free at all sites. The skating rink at Odori and some attractions at Tsudome charge separately: in 2026 the Snow Raft cost ¥1,200 for adults and ¥600 for primary-school age and under. The tube slides hand out numbered tickets on weekends and holidays.
What are the Sapporo Snow Festival opening hours?
Odori is a public park, open all day and lit until 22:00. Susukino's ice sculptures can also be seen any time and are lit until 23:00, or 22:00 on the last day. Tsudome opens from 10:00 to 16:00, and some attractions stop taking riders early when it is busy.
Where is the Sapporo Snow Festival held?
At three sites. Odori Park, from West 1 to West 11 blocks in central Sapporo, has the giant snow sculptures. Susukino, on Ekimae-dori between Minami 4-jo and Minami 6-jo, has the ice sculptures. Tsudome, a community dome in the east of the city, has slides and snow play.
How many days do you need for the Sapporo Snow Festival?
Two full days covers all three sites: Odori by day and night, Susukino in the evening and Tsudome for a morning. Add a day or two for the rest of Sapporo, which is why our plan runs 5 days. Skipping the 6 to 7 February weekend helps with crowds, and usually with room prices.
Sources
- Sapporo Snow Festival Executive Committee, 2027 festival outline (13 July 2026) - 77th edition, dates 4 to 11 February 2027 (8 days), the three sites and their locations, the Odori block layout, Sapporo Snow Sports Park on 12 to 14 February
- Sapporo Snow Festival, 2026 results and next dates (11 February 2026) - confirms 2027 dates for all three sites
- 2026 Sapporo Snow Festival results, Odori and Tsudome (PDF, 11 February 2026) - Odori and Tsudome visit counts for 2023 to 2026, their 2,539,000 combined total and 109.1% growth, the 2026 dates for both sites, Saturday as the most crowded Odori day, overseas visitors, projection mapping from 17:30
- Susukino Ice World 2026 results (PDF, 11 February 2026) - Susukino visit counts for 2024 to 2026, its 2026 dates, the 35% rise, 60 ice sculptures, the site cut to two-thirds of its size
- Sapporo Snow Festival FAQ - free entry (paid skating rink and some Tsudome attractions), opening and lighting hours for each site, about 210 sculptures in 2026, snow hauling from 7 January, who builds the sculptures, shoe grips at about ¥1,000, subway access
- Sapporo Snow Festival, Odori, Susukino and Tsudome site pages - 2027 dates and lighting hours per site, 2027 details due from mid-December 2026, the "over 2 million" visitors line, 2026 fish-in-ice sculptures and Susukino street closures, Tsudome hours, shuttle bus, 2026 attraction prices and tube slide ticket times (see also Susukino and Odori)
- Sapporo Snow Festival, history - the first festival in 1950, six statues, about 50,000 visitors
- Japan Meteorological Agency, Sapporo climate normals 1991 to 2020 - February mean, high and low temperatures
- JR Hokkaido, New Chitose Airport to Sapporo - six Airport Trains an hour between 9:00 and 16:00 (fastest 33, 37 and 43 minutes by train type), IC cards, reserved car 4
- Hong Kong Government, general holidays for 2027 (15 May 2026) - Lunar New Year's Day on Saturday 6 February 2027, Hong Kong holidays on 6, 8 and 9 February
- Taiwan Directorate-General of Personnel Administration, approved 2027 government calendar - Taiwan's 7-day Lunar New Year break, 4 to 10 February 2027 (attached calendar table), with Lunar New Year's Day on 6 February
- Cabinet Office of Japan, national holidays list (CSV) - 11 February 2027 (National Foundation Day) as a national holiday
All figures verified 2 October 2026. Visit counts are the organisers' own and count visits per site, not individual people. The 2027 sculpture line-up had not been published at the time of writing.
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Going to Sapporo in February? Plan the trip free, then compare live prices - Navoy: your AI Travel Agent
About the Author
Ranym Garali
Ranym is the Marketing and Content Lead at Navoy. She's been writing about travel for two years and digs into the data behind each piece, flight prices, visa rules and what people are actually searching for , so the advice holds up in practice.
