About the festival
Tokushima Awa Odori fills the city with dance groups called ren, moving to drums, flutes and shamisen. Ticketed venues and street performances offer different viewing experiences.
Who is it for?
Dance and live-music fans who want to compare different groups' styles.
Photo: Rosino · CC BY-SA 2.0
Original date: 2008-08-15 11:46. Original image or Commons thumbnail; no additional edits.
Dates and times
12–15 August 2026 street performances; next edition not announced
Past edition. Times use JST. See the official programme for session times and changes.
Venue and parade route
Tokushima · 徳島
Several performance venues lie south of Tokushima Station, including Aibahama. They have individual entrances and seats rather than one citywide parade route. The festival-eve concert is at Asty Tokushima, away from downtown.
徳島市内演舞場・藍場浜演舞場周辺
The map pin marks a reference venue, rather than every entrance or the full parade route.
Getting there by train or bus
- Take the JR Kotoku Line from Takamatsu to Tokushima. Downtown performance venues are walkable from the station; Asty Tokushima requires a separate trip.
What to see
- Ren dance groups
- Different dance styles
- Ticketed and street performances
History and origins
The dance has around four centuries of tradition. Bon dancing, furyu performance and a celebration of Tokushima Castle all feature in its origin stories.
Planning your visit
Our editorial suggestions for planning your trip.
Choose a ticketed venue for a scheduled performance, or a street setting to compare different groups. Treat the eve's Asty concert as a separate outing.
Places to visit nearby
Awa Odori Kaikan
阿波おどり会館
A museum and performance venue explaining Awa Odori's dance, instruments and costumes.
Visit near the Shinmachi area; its indoor performances have their own timetable and admission.
These stops and the suggested order are editorial recommendations. Check each venue's opening hours and festival-day road closures before travelling.
Tokushima Awa Odori: common questions
When is Tokushima Awa Odori?
12–15 August 2026 street performances; next edition not announced These dates refer to the stated edition; they do not confirm dates for a later year. Times are Japan Standard Time (JST).
Where does Tokushima Awa Odori take place?
Several performance venues lie south of Tokushima Station, including Aibahama. They have individual entrances and seats rather than one citywide parade route. The festival-eve concert is at Asty Tokushima, away from downtown.
How do I get to Tokushima Awa Odori by public transport?
Take the JR Kotoku Line from Takamatsu to Tokushima. Downtown performance venues are walkable from the station; Asty Tokushima requires a separate trip.
Is the festival-eve concert at the street-dance venue?
No. The Asty Tokushima concert and the downtown street performances have separate venues, schedules and admission arrangements.
Official sources
- Festival and visitor guide 1 (www.awanavi.jp) ↗
- Festival and visitor guide 2 (www.pref.tokushima.lg.jp) ↗
Sources reviewed: .