The Akashi Niku Festa (明石肉フェスタ) is a festival built around meat dishes, drinks, music and dance. Its 17th edition comes to Akashi Park in Hyogo over three days this autumn: Saturday, October 31, Sunday, November 1 and Tuesday, November 3. About 30 food stalls and food trucks serving carefully made meat dishes will line up on the lawn, and you can walk in for free.
Below you’ll find the dates and hours, how the food tickets work, which day has the reggae DJs and which has the idol stage, plus how to get there and what happens if it rains.
The festival at a glance
| Event | 17th Akashi Niku Festa (第17回 明石肉フェスタ) |
|---|---|
| Dates | Saturday, October 31, Sunday, November 1 and Tuesday, November 3, 2026 (national holiday) No festival on Monday, November 2 |
| Hours | 10:00–17:00 Closes at 16:30 on November 3 |
| Venue | West Lawn, Hyogo Prefectural Akashi Park (兵庫県立明石公園 西芝生広場) |
| Address | 1-27 Akashi Koen, Akashi, Hyogo (明石市明石公園1-27) |
| Admission | Free |
| Food and drink | Paid with food tickets Booklet of 5 tickets: 3,000 yen |
| Stalls | About 30 food stalls and food trucks |
| Weather | Goes ahead in the rain No make-up date if a day is cancelled due to a storm |
| Parking | 366 spaces |
| Organizer | Niku Festa Executive Committee (肉フェスタ実行委員会) |
| Official site | niku-festival.jp/akashi/ |
What’s on each day
The core of the festival is the same throughout: meat dishes from the stalls and food trucks, music and dance on stage, and hands-on booths for kids. What changes is the extra event that runs alongside it, so pick your day by what you want to hear.
| Date | Hours | Also on that day |
|---|---|---|
| Sat, Oct 31 | 10:00–17:00 | Main festival |
| Sun, Nov 1 | 10:00–17:00 | Reggae Niku Festa (レゲエ肉フェスタ) Reggae DJs on the line-up include CHEHON, KENTY GROSS and HISATOMI |
| Mon, Nov 2 | — | No festival |
| Tue, Nov 3 (holiday) | 10:00–16:30 | Oshikatsu Niku Festa (推し活肉フェスタ) Many idol groups take the stage |
Oshikatsu is the Japanese word for cheering on your favourite performer, so November 3 is the day for idol fans. Check the official site for the full line-up and stage timetable on both themed days.
Free entry and food tickets
Getting in costs nothing. Food and drink are bought with tickets rather than cash at each stall, and the tickets come in a booklet of 5 for 3,000 yen.
How many tickets each dish takes, where the booklets are sold and which payment methods are accepted have not been announced yet, so check the official site before you go. If you’re still sorting out how to pay for everyday things in Japan, our guide to credit cards for foreigners covers which card to apply for first.
Getting there and parking
The train is the easy option. The park sits just north of Akashi Station, which is served by both JR and Sanyo trains, so you can walk straight over from the station.
| By train | Just north of JR / Sanyo Akashi Station |
|---|---|
| By car | About 10 minutes from Okuradani IC (大蔵谷) on the Daini-Shinmei Road (第二神明道路) About 15 minutes from Tamatsu IC (玉津) |
| Parking | 366 spaces |
Parking fees and the exact location of the car park have not been announced, so check the official site if you plan to drive.
If it rains
Light rain won’t stop the festival. A day can still be called off if a storm comes through, and a cancelled day won’t be moved to a later date. If the forecast looks rough, check the official site on the morning you plan to go.
Going with kids or as a couple
Besides the food and the stage, there are hands-on booths aimed at children, so families can make a day of it. With drinks, music and dance on the program, it also works well as a casual date on the lawn.
A look at past editions
The 2026 vendor list has not been published yet, but flyers and timetables from earlier editions give a good feel for the stage program and the range of stalls. The dates on them are for past festivals.
FAQ
- Q. Is the Akashi Niku Festa free to enter?
- Yes. Entry is free. Food and drink are paid with tickets sold in booklets of 5 for 3,000 yen.
- Q. Is the festival open on November 2?
- No. It runs on October 31, November 1 and November 3 only.
- Q. What time does it close on the last day?
- It closes at 16:30 on November 3. The other two days run from 10:00 to 17:00.
- Q. Which day has the reggae DJs?
- November 1, when the Reggae Niku Festa runs alongside the main festival with DJs including CHEHON, KENTY GROSS and HISATOMI.
- Q. Which day has the idol groups?
- November 3, when the Oshikatsu Niku Festa brings many idol groups to the stage.
- Q. Will it go ahead if it rains?
- Yes. It goes ahead in the rain. If a day is cancelled because of a storm, it won’t be rescheduled.
- Q. How do I get there by train?
- The venue is just north of Akashi Station, which is served by JR and Sanyo trains.
- Q. Is there parking?
- Yes. There are 366 parking spaces.
Looking for more days out? See our guides to the Musashino Art University Festival, the Shibaura Canal Festival and its free canal cruises, and the Taiyo no Tomato Men free ramen festival. For discounts on attraction tickets, our Asoview campaign roundup is worth a look.
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