Sapporo Snow Festival in Hokkaido
Part of the Hokkaido travel guide — see every topic in All Hokkaido Guides.
The Sapporo Snow Festival is Hokkaido's biggest winter event, with huge snow statues, ice carvings and about 2 million visitors in eight days. The 2027 festival runs from 4 to 11 February. All three sites are free.
Odori Park
The main site runs for about 1.5 km along Odori Park in the city centre, west from the Sapporo TV Tower. Teams build giant snow statues, the biggest about 15 m tall and 25 m wide, plus dozens of smaller ones. The statues are lit until about 22:00, and projection shows play on the biggest ones in the evening. Food stalls sell grilled scallops, corn, crab soup and hot drinks.
Susukino and Tsudome
The Susukino site, in Sapporo's nightlife district, shows rows of ice sculptures that are lit until late at night. Tsudome, in the east of the city, is the family site, with snow slides, snow rafting and indoor food stalls; it closes earlier, around 17:00. Reach Tsudome by the Toho subway line to Sakaemachi, then a 15-minute walk or a shuttle bus. Exact hours for 2027 are announced by the organisers before the festival.
Rooms and timing
Hotels fill months ahead and prices often double, so book 4–6 months early, or stay in Otaru (35–45 minutes by train). Odori is quietest on weekday mornings and most beautiful from about 17:00, when the lights come on. Teams build the statues in the week before the festival, which is fun to watch too. The Otaru Snow Light Path, with candles along the canal, usually runs in the same weeks.
Staying warm
Daytime temperatures are about -7 to 0°C, and colder after dark. Wear thermal layers, a warm hat, gloves and waterproof boots with deep grip. Pavements are icy: slip-on ice cleats cost about ¥1,000–2,000 at convenience stores and shoe shops. Warm up in the underground walkways that join Sapporo Station, Odori and Susukino.
Sapporo Snow Festival at a glance
| 2027 dates | 4–11 February 2027 |
|---|---|
| Sites | Odori Park (snow), Susukino (ice), Tsudome (family) |
| Cost | Free |
| Lights | Odori until about 22:00 |
| Getting there | Subway to Odori or Susukino; Toho line to Sakaemachi for Tsudome |
| Weather | About -7 to 0°C |
| Book rooms | 4–6 months ahead |