You’ll have to wake up early to catch the heavy-hitters at this year’s Summer Sonic.
The festival, held simultaneously in Chiba and Osaka, has been sliding marquee names from J-pop and K-pop into earlier slots in recent years, a tactic that draws massive crowds before the temperatures hit their highs. For the 2025 edition, running Aug. 16 and 17, promoter Creativeman is doubling down, offering a new idea of what a summer festival can look like.
In Chiba, J-pop provides the wake-up call. On Saturday, boy band SixTones hits the main Marine Stage at 11 a.m., followed by LiSA at noon — where she’s sure to perform songs from the mega-popular “Demon Slayer” series. Sunday starts even bigger: Mrs. Green Apple, arguably Japan’s most popular act right now, opens the day, followed by the one-two punch of JO1 and Be:First.
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