Don’t let the recent snowfall fool you — it’s time to start preparing for the summer.
Two of Japan’s biggest music festivals recently unveiled the first waves of their lineups. Summer Sonic, set to be held concurrently in Tokyo and Osaka on Aug. 19 and 20, kicked things off with a roster headlined by British rockers Blur and American rapper Kendrick Lamar. Fuji Rock Festival, which is scheduled to take place from July 28 through 30 at Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture, followed shortly after, announcing that it would bring American rockers Foo Fighters and The Strokes to the main stage alongside pop star Lizzo.
What stood out from these two announcements was how few domestic artists factored into both. While these reveals have always relied on flashy, internationally known names at the start, both events tend to sprinkle a few Japanese names to catch some attention. Summer Sonic’s selection included only two J-pop heavyweights — Yoasobi and Official Hige Dandism — while Fuji Rock featured none at all.