Niigata Festival

This summer festival takes place over the course of three days in early August in the centre of Niigata City and has many attractions to delight visitors.The Daiminyou-nagashi on the night of the first day features approximately 15,000 dancers all clad in colourful yukata, who dance the Niigata Jinku dance or the Sado Okesa dance.On the second day the Sumiyoshi Gyoretsu procession takes place, stretching for about 1km with people dressed in old-fashioned costumes. There is also the Niigata Kirakira Parade, featuring approximately 1,000 participants and flamboyant brass band performances. Finally, there is also a water parade, the Suijo-mikoshi-togyo, featuring approximately 40 gorgeously decorated boats.The climax comes on the third day of the festival with the fireworks, which light up the night sky in an awe-inspiring finale.