Sapporo Snow Festival

Three ways to enjoy the snow

Start with Odori for the monumental sculptures, add Susukino for transparent ice against the city lights, or make Tsudome your snow-play outing. Each offers a different way to spend a winter day. Photographs show past editions; designs change each winter.

Odori: a city-sized outdoor gallery

The pleasure here is scale. A snow building can fill your field of view, then a few steps bring smaller sculptures and a completely different idea. Look closely at the carving to appreciate the details within those monumental forms.

Daylight reveals the white surfaces, carved details and shapes. After dusk, illumination gives the same snow a more theatrical presence: lit sculptures and surrounding towers turn the park into a ribbon of light through the city.

For both views, explore a stretch of the park in daylight, take a warm indoor break, then return for a shorter evening look.

Susukino: ice and city lights

Here the material changes. Ice catches the surrounding light instead of appearing as solid white snow, with the signs and buildings of Susukino behind it. The translucent surfaces and close-up details offer a rewarding contrast to Odori’s white snow.

Make this your central-city evening stop, with dinner nearby and time to linger at the displays. Stay within the visitor areas and leave crossings clear: the festival sits inside a working entertainment district.

Tsudome: swap looking for playing

Tsudome is the choice for active snow play. Past editions have offered snow slides and other winter activities, making this a different sort of outing from the central sculpture walk. The 2024 slide photograph shows that playful side—and the queues that can come with it.

Give this northern venue its own substantial outing. Specific 2027 attractions, age requirements and activity arrangements await the detailed programme. Check those details when planning a family visit.

2027 scheduled dates and announced hours

The festival is scheduled for 4–11 February 2027 at all three venues. Odori’s illumination is listed until 22:00; Tsudome is listed 10:00–16:00, with some attraction registration closing earlier when busy. As of 27 October 2026, a closing time for Susukino in 2027 had not been announced in the festival’s date information.

The official venue pages still label their detailed programmes as 2026 information, with 2027 updates planned from mid-December. Check those updates for the sculpture lineup, activity rules, shuttle arrangements and any activity charges.

Choose the station for your venue

Odori subway station serves the park; Susukino station serves the ice-sculpture area on Ekimae-dori. For Tsudome, use Sakaemachi station and allow for the outdoor approach. These are three separate locations, not successive blocks of one exhibition.

For a first visit, we suggest Odori in daylight, a meal and warm-up, then a shorter illuminated visit or Susukino. Keep Tsudome separate if snow play is your priority. Leave a generous time margin for snow-covered paths.

Keep the cold from cutting the day short

Wear warm layers, a hat, gloves and winter footwear with good grip. Plan indoor breaks before you are thoroughly chilled, and stop somewhere safe to use your camera. Keep the outing short enough to stay warm and comfortable.