Sapporo Snow Festival 2027: Dates, Sites and How to Plan

The Sapporo Snow Festival 2027 runs from Thursday 4 to Thursday 11 February 2027 across three sites: Odori Park, Susukino and Tsudome. It is the 77th festival (not the 78th, as some sites say), entry is free, and the Odori sculptures were lit until 22:00 every night in 2026.

This guide covers everything you need to plan Sapporo in February 2027. You get the confirmed dates, what’s at each site, light-up times and costs, two add-on festivals (Otaru and Asahikawa), where to stay and when to book, the airport train, what to wear, where to eat soup curry, miso ramen and jingisukan, a 1-day and a 3-day plan, and three things other guides skip. Dates come from the official Sapporo Snow Festival site in Japanese. Anything not yet published for 2027 is labelled Expected and taken from the 2026 festival. Last checked 17 October 2026.

When is the Sapporo Snow Festival 2027?

The organisers announced the 2027 dates on 13 July 2026. All three sites open on the same eight days: Thursday 4 February to Thursday 11 February 2027. The last day is National Foundation Day, a public holiday, so expect Japanese domestic crowds on 11 February and on the weekend of 6–7 February.

Site	Dates 2027	Hours / light-up	Cost	Status
Odori Park (West 1–11 chome)	Thu 4 – Thu 11 Feb	Open all day; lit from sunset to 22:00	Free	Dates confirmed; hours expected (2026)
Susukino (Ekimae-dori, South 4–6)	Thu 4 – Thu 11 Feb	Lit to 23:00; 22:00 on the last day	Free	Dates confirmed; hours expected (2026)
Tsudome (Higashi-ku)	Thu 4 – Thu 11 Feb	10:00–16:00	Free entry; some attractions paid	Dates confirmed; hours expected (2026)
Sapporo Snow Sports Park 2027 (Daiwa House Premist Dome)	Fri 12 – Sun 14 Feb	TBA	TBA	Dates confirmed

The organiser says details “will be updated in stages”, so sculpture themes and exact hours for 2027 aren’t out yet. The hours above are from 2026 (4–11 February), per Toretabi and Rurubu, and match the official English site pages (which still show 2025). We’ll update this guide when the 2027 programme lands.

What’s at each Sapporo Snow Festival site?

1. Odori Park (Main Site)

The Lowdown: Eleven city blocks of snow sculptures through the city centre. For 2027 the official layout has five large sculptures, at 4, 5, 7, 8 and 10 chome, with medium and small sculptures at 3, 6 and 9 chome, winter attractions at 1 chome, the Sapporo International Art Festival 2027 at 2 chome and the International Snow Sculpture Contest at 11 chome. In 2026 Odori had 135 snow and ice sculptures and 1,926,000 visitors (official results, PDF).

Where: Odori Park, West 1–11 chome. Odori Station (Namboku, Tozai and Toho subway lines) is right underneath the park.
The Vibe: Huge, busy and best after dark. The big sculptures are the ones you see on Instagram, along with the character pieces. In 2026 those included Snow Miku and Hello Kitty at 11 chome.
Price: Free. Extras cost money. In 2026 the 3 chome skating rink was ¥3,000 for adults on the day (¥2,500 in advance, skates included). In 2025 the curling experience was ¥500 (primary school age and up).
Official Link: snowfes.com — Odori Site

💡 Japan Pro Tip: In 2026 the projection mapping on the large sculptures at 5 and 8 chome ran every evening from 17:30. Arrive at 8 chome by 17:15, stay for a few loops, then walk east towards the TV Tower. Crowds thin out after 20:30.

2. Susukino (Ice Sculpture Site)

The Lowdown: Officially called Susukino Ice World, this site has about 60 ice sculptures along Ekimae-dori in Sapporo’s nightlife district. In 2026 it had 1,378,000 visitors, up about 35% on the year before (official results, PDF). On the opening day you can watch the ice sculpture contest entries being carved, which takes the whole day.

Where: Ekimae-dori from South 4 to South 6 street. Susukino Station (Namboku Line) is at the north end of the site.
The Vibe: Smaller and more compact than Odori, surrounded by bars and ramen counters. Look for the sculpture with fish frozen inside the ice.
Price: Free.
Official Link: snowfes.com — Susukino Site

💡 Japan Pro Tip: Susukino stays lit an hour later than Odori (until 23:00, based on 2026). Do Odori first, walk south about 10 minutes, and finish here with dinner.

3. Tsudome (Family Site)

The Lowdown: A sports dome in Higashi-ku with snow slides, snow rafting, food booths, rest areas and children’s play areas, inside and outside. In 2026 it had 14 sculptures and 613,000 visitors. It’s the site for kids, and for people who just want to play in the snow.

Where: Sapporo Community Dome Tsudome. Sakaemachi Station (Toho Line) is about 15 minutes’ walk, and a shuttle bus runs from the station. There’s no public parking.
The Vibe: Loud, fun and mostly families. Daytime only.
Price: Free entry. Some attractions are paid.
Official Link: snowfes.com — Tsudome Site

💡 Japan Pro Tip: The queues for the big slides get long, and some attractions stop taking people early. Go at the 10:00 opening on a weekday, then take the subway back to Odori for the evening light-up.

Is it worth adding Otaru Snow Light Path and Asahikawa Winter Festival?

Yes, if you have at least three days. Both are an easy train ride from Sapporo and feel very different from the big-city festival.

Otaru Snow Light Path (Sat 6 – Sat 13 Feb 2027, Confirmed)

The Otaru Tourism Association lists the 2027 dates as 6–13 February, with details still to come. In past years, snow lanterns and candles have lined the Otaru Canal and the old Temiya Line railway track every evening, with glass float candles on the canal. It started in 1999. Some trains from New Chitose Airport run straight through to Otaru, and the fastest takes 73 minutes (JR Hokkaido). From Sapporo it’s a short local JR ride. Japanese name: 小樽雪あかりの路.

Asahikawa Winter Festival (Sat 6 – Thu 11 Feb 2027, Confirmed)

The 68th festival is confirmed for 2027 (official site), and the organising committee set the dates at 6–11 February 2027 at its general meeting on 27 May 2026 (Hokkaido Shimbun; also listed on HOKKAIDO LOVE!). The main site is by the Ishikari River near Asahibashi Bridge. This is where the big stage sculptures are, and where a past main sculpture went into the Guinness Book as the world’s largest. A warning: on 6 February 2026, a blizzard forecast cancelled the stage events and postponed the fireworks. Leave a spare day in your plans. Japanese name: 旭川冬まつり.

Where should you stay for the Sapporo Snow Festival, and when should you book?

Book now. Around 2.5 million visits to Odori and Tsudome in eight days, plus another 1.4 million at Susukino, means central Sapporo hotels fill up months ahead, and late rooms cost a lot. If you’re reading this in October, you’re not too early.

• Odori / Sapporo Station: The best base. You can walk to the sculptures, and the airport train arrives at Sapporo Station.
• Susukino: Lots of rooms and food, and you’re beside the ice sculptures. It’s noisy on weekend nights.
• Nakajima Koen / Higashi-ku: One or two subway stops out. Often cheaper, and still 10 minutes from Odori.
• Otaru: A good overflow option if Sapporo is full, and you’ll be there for the Snow Light Path anyway.

What about the igloo stays all over Instagram? They’re mostly private listings or one-off campaigns, and we couldn’t confirm a bookable igloo inside the festival itself. If you want a novelty night in Hokkaido, our guide to the Poké Ball hotel in Hokkaido covers one of the more unusual ones.

How do you get from New Chitose Airport to the Sapporo Snow Festival?

Take the JR Airport train from the station under New Chitose’s domestic terminal. According to JR Hokkaido, the fastest Special Rapid reaches Sapporo in 33 minutes, Rapids take 37 minutes, and trains run six times an hour between 9:00 and 16:00. Reserved seats need a seat ticket on top of the fare. From Sapporo Station, walk to Odori or take the Namboku Line one stop.

Heavy snow can delay trains in February. Check JR Hokkaido’s live service status before you head to the airport on your way home, and leave yourself a buffer.

How cold is Sapporo in February, and what should you wear?

Very cold, and it snows a lot. The Japan Meteorological Agency’s 1991–2020 normals for Sapporo in February are an average high of 0.4°C, an average low of −6.2°C and 116 cm of snowfall over the month (JMA). Standing still at a sculpture for an hour after dark feels colder than the number suggests.

• Grippy boots come first. Pavements are packed snow and ice. Clip-on shoe spikes are easy to buy in Sapporo if you forget.
• Layers: thermal base layer, fleece and a down coat with a hood. Indoors is heated, so you need to be able to take layers off.
• Hat, neck warmer and touchscreen gloves. Phone batteries drain fast in the cold, so carry a power bank in an inside pocket.
• Kairo heat packs from any convenience store. Stick-on ones go on your back, and toe ones go in your boots.

What should you eat in Sapporo in February?

Hot food is half the point of Sapporo in February. Instagram loves ramen eaten outdoors in the snow, but Sapporo’s three classics taste better indoors and warm.

• Soup curry: Sapporo’s own dish, a thin spiced broth with large pieces of vegetables and chicken, where you choose the spice level. Try GARAKU (basement of Presant Minami 3 Higashi 2, Chuo-ku, near Susukino) or Suage+ (2F, Minami 4-jo Nishi 5, across from Norbesa). Both get queues at peak meal times.
• Miso ramen: Ganso Ramen Yokocho is an alley of 17 ramen shops at Minami 5-jo Nishi 3, about a minute from the Susukino ice sculptures. For a famous name, Sumire is the miso ramen many people in Sapporo grew up on.
• Jingisukan (grilled lamb): Sapporo Beer Garden (Kita 7 Higashi 9, Higashi-ku) grills lamb in red-brick halls, open 11:30–21:00. Take the bus from stop 2 at Sapporo Station’s north exit, about 7 minutes. Note that its Poplar-kan hall is closed for renovation from 25 October 2026 until around mid-January 2027. In Susukino, Daruma is the small, smoky counter people queue round the block for.

💡 Japan Pro Tip: Don’t want to queue in −5°C? We can book a guided Sapporo food night with a local host, so you get the soup curry, ramen and jingisukan without guessing which door to join.

How do you see the Sapporo Snow Festival in one day or three days?

1-day plan

• 10:00 Tsudome for the slides and snow rafting (subway to Sakaemachi plus the shuttle).
• 13:30 Soup curry lunch near Susukino.
• 15:00 Walk Odori from 11 chome (snow sculpture contest) east to 1 chome in daylight.
• 17:15 Back to 8 chome for the projection mapping (from 17:30 in 2026), then the TV Tower deck.
• 20:30 Susukino ice sculptures, then miso ramen at Ganso Ramen Yokocho.

3-day plan

• Day 1 (Sapporo): Arrive by airport train, check in, and see Odori and Susukino at night. Jingisukan for dinner.
• Day 2 (Sapporo): Tsudome in the morning, Odori by daylight, and the TV Tower at dusk. If you visit from 12 February, add the Snow Sports Park at the Dome.
• Day 3 (Otaru, from 6 February): Spend the afternoon in Otaru’s canal district and stay for the Snow Light Path after dark. Sleep in Otaru, or take the train back to Sapporo.

For a fourth day, add Asahikawa (6–11 February 2027) by JR Limited Express from Sapporo. If you’re also visiting other parts of Japan, our Winter in Japan guide covers ten more destinations, and Japan’s best onsen towns lists where to warm up afterwards.

3 Sapporo Snow Festival tips other guides miss

1. Walk underground between the sites

Chi-Ka-Ho, the underground walkway under Ekimae-dori, links the Sapporo Station area with Odori and Susukino. You can walk between the sites warm and dry, then come up at the sculpture you want. In a blizzard, this matters a lot.

2. See Odori from the TV Tower

The Sapporo TV Tower stands at the east end of Odori Park, and its observation deck looks straight down the line of sculptures. Adults pay ¥1,200, and it’s open 9:00–22:00 (last entry 21:50), though hours can change for events. Go up at dusk to see the whole park lit up in one view.

3. Stay longer for the Snow Sports Park

New for 2027: the official announcement adds Sapporo Snow Sports Park 2027 at Daiwa House Premist Dome (Sapporo Dome) from Friday 12 to Sunday 14 February, right after the festival closes. If you can only travel from 11 February, you still get one festival night plus three days of snow events. Hotels are also usually easier to book once the main festival has ended.

Hokkaido winter festivals at a glance (2027)

Dates	Festival	Where	Cost	Status
Thu 4 – Thu 11 Feb	Sapporo Snow Festival (さっぽろ雪まつり), 77th	Odori, Susukino, Tsudome	Free	Confirmed
Sat 6 – Sat 13 Feb	Otaru Snow Light Path (小樽雪あかりの路)	Otaru Canal and Temiya Line	Free to walk	Confirmed
Sat 6 – Thu 11 Feb	Asahikawa Winter Festival (旭川冬まつり), 68th	Asahikawa	TBA	Confirmed
Fri 12 – Sun 14 Feb	Sapporo Snow Sports Park 2027	Daiwa House Premist Dome	TBA	Confirmed

Plan your Sapporo Snow Festival 2027 trip now

The Sapporo Snow Festival 2027 dates are set, entry is free, and hotels are what sell out, so book your room this month. Japan was named Favourite Country for a Holiday two years running (JNTO, 9 October 2026), and Hokkaido in February is a big reason why. Book your Hokkaido winter tours and experiences with Japan Pro, and our local hosts will handle the rest.

Sources: Sapporo Snow Festival Executive Committee (2027 outline), 2026 results, HOKKAIDO LOVE!, Otaru Tourism Association, Asahikawa Winter Festival, JR Hokkaido, JMA. Last checked 17 October 2026.