A Day When the Whole City Fills with Music — The 25th Totteoki Music Festival 2026

Fresh green leaves are shining brilliantly this season. Today we'd like to introduce a music festival that fills the streets of Sendai with melody on the first Sunday of June — a quintessential early summer experience.

The "Totteoki Music Festival" is a street music festival born in Sendai in 2001. Its philosophy is to create a world where people with and without disabilities enjoy music together, aiming for a "barrier-free heart." The motto is "Everyone is different, and that's wonderful." It is the largest festival of its kind in Japan, and this year marks a milestone 25th edition.

For the 25th festival in 2026, 312 artists and groups will perform across 29 stages throughout central Sendai — including Kotodai Park Citizens' Plaza, Higashi-Ichiban-cho Shopping Street, and the area in front of Sendai Mediatheque. Regardless of professional or amateur status, diverse genres from jazz, chorus, and taiko drums to gospel and brass bands will echo through the streets all day long. The stages are within walking distance of each other, making it a delight to stroll with a map in hand, discovering your favorite sounds. Food trucks will also be set up around the venues, offering delicious dining in the pleasant early summer weather.

Admission is free, and you're free to choose whichever stage appeals to you — that sense of openness is part of the charm. It's a special once-a-year Sunday when the city of Sendai itself becomes the stage.

Why not depart a little early the morning after your stay at MARUKI Saifuku and head into central Sendai? You're sure to discover a "totteoki" (special) sound that stays with you.