The 2025 edition of Fuji Rock Festival, held from July 25 to 27 at Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture, marked a high point for Japan’s premier music event. Three-day passes and Saturday tickets sold out two weeks before the gates opened, and according to festival organizer Smash, ticket sales were the strongest they have been since the COVID-19 pandemic — a testament to renewed enthusiasm for live music in Japan.

Part of that momentum came from a growing number of overseas visitors. Organizers say international ticket buyers accounted for roughly 10% of all sales, but they believe the real figure could be higher, supposing many foreign attendees purchased tickets through friends or acquaintances in Japan. Tickets were sold in 60 countries this year, with the majority going to fans in Taiwan, South Korea and China. These developments are in line with a report recently released by the World Economic Forum, which found that tourists traveling for experiences, such as attending music festivals and sporting events, is growing significantly.

Qingzhe Chen, who goes by Jimmy, is a Fuji Rock regular currently living in Michigan, and he has witnessed the growing international presence firsthand. Chen, 39, is the moderator of a Fuji Rock group on Reddit and uses it to coordinate informal meetups, particularly for people coming from overseas. Each year, he organizes a group dinner, inviting newcomers and returnees to gather and connect ahead of the three-day festival. “There are a handful of people who come who live in Japan, but there are a lot of people from (places like) Southeast Asia and Australia,” he says.