Sapporo Snow Festival

For a week in early February the centre of Sapporo turns into an outdoor gallery. Odori Park, the green strip that runs through the city, is lined from the first block to the eleventh with snow sculptures, five of them very large, together with many smaller ones made by citizens. The cold is part of the show: this is a winter festival, and the sculptures only work because it is below freezing.

The 2027 edition runs from 4 to 11 February, announced by the organisers on three sites. Odori is the main one and the place to see the big sculptures. Susukino, the entertainment district, is where the ice sculptures stand. The Tsudome site, in the east of the city, is the one for snow play, with a slide and snow rafting. The International Snow Sculpture Contest brings teams from countries, regions and cities around the world to carve their own sculptures. The festival ran for eight days in 2026 on the same pattern.

A second event often combined with it is the Otaru Snow Light Path, with lights along the canal, which in 2027 runs 6 to 13 February, in the same week. Otaru is a short train ride from Sapporo.

How to go. The festival is among the busiest times of the year in Hokkaido, so book flights and a hotel as early as you can. In 2027 the Lunar New Year holiday falls inside the festival week, which sends demand and prices higher still. The programme, the sculpture list and the hours for 2027 were not published when this page was written. Odori and Susukino are walkable from central Sapporo, and the Tsudome site needs a short ride out. Dress for deep cold and wear boots with grip, as the paths turn to ice. The Sapporo guide has the city, the food and the winter practicalities.