Gion Matsuri (Festival) 2025 in Kyoto

This month of rituals and traditions can't be missed during your Kyoto vacation

Dates: July

Gion Matsuri is one of the most outstanding festivals in Japan. It takes place in Kyoto during the entire month of July. The name of the event comes from the Gion neighbourhood—the most famous and exclusive Geisha quarter.

Gion Matsuri Parades

The most significant highlights of the Gion Matsuri are street parades—Yamaboko Junkō—held on the 17th and 24th of July. Yamaboko refers to the 23 yama and 10 hoko floats that make up the procession. During the show, you will see huge floats decorated with ancient patterns. It's a great chance to witness two different types of Japanese floats. They are truly impressive and breathtaking and can reach up to 82 feet (25 meters) in height and weigh up to 12 metric tonnes!

The parades take place between 9 am and 11:30 am. The float processions follow a three-kilometre-long route that stretches along Shijo, Kawaramachi and Oike streets. The itineraries differ depending on the dates—the parade starts from Shijo-Karasuma on July 17th and from Karasuma-Oike on July 24th. You can obtain some paid seatings in front of the city hall, but there are lots of other viewing points along the extended route.

Others Events and Activities

During the festival, you can also enjoy traditional Japanese performances, taste the best varieties of iconic Japanese dishes such as okonomiyaki, takoyaki and yakitori; observe Japanise yukata (summer kimono), listen to Gion-bayashi music and much more.

Gion Matsuri History

The festival has a long and almost continuous history, dating back to 869 as a religious ceremony to appease the gods during an outbreak of plague. Today, the festival continues to choose a local boy as the divine messenger. It is forbidden for the child to set foot on the ground from the 13th until after he has been paraded through town on the 17th.