On the Thursday night before the Fuji Rock Festival begins in earnest, part of the festival site is open to everyone free of charge. Originally, this pre-festival party, complete with traditional Bon-odori dancing and fireworks, was a means of thanking the surrounding community for putting up with the racket, and for years it was attended mainly by the Fuji faithful. More recently, it has become a fourth day of the festival. This year it was so packed, revelers could barely move around.
An increasing number of festival-goers are from Asia, where better living standards have created a boom in the concert and music festival businesses. Some camp out, but most opt for accommodation off-site, bringing their families.
Fuji Rock rosters have always represented a wide spectrum of countries, but the big names are usually British or American. This year's blowout was notable for the variety of its international acts. Though still a Japanese event attended and performed mainly by Japanese people, the international focus has become sharper on both sides of the footlights.