Sumida River Fireworks Festival 2026: July 25 Guide, 20,000 Fireworks & Best Viewing Spots

The Sumida River Fireworks Festival 2026 takes place on Saturday, July 25, with about 20,000 fireworks launched over the Sumida River, Tokyo's signature summer fireworks event. In this post, I've put together the free viewing spots that work well for travelers, tips on what time to claim a spot, and information on the Tokyo Skytree special-opening lottery, all in one place.

2026 Sumida River Fireworks Festival: Basic Information

The Sumida River Fireworks Festival is one of Tokyo’s leading summer fireworks events. The 49th festival in 2026 will be held on Saturday, July 25, at Launch Site 1 and Launch Site 2 along the Sumida River, with about 20,000 fireworks.

1️⃣ Launch Site 1: Asakusa & Skytree Side

Launch Site 1 starts firing at 19:00. About 9,350 fireworks are launched, of which 200 are competition fireworks.

2️⃣ Launch Site 2: Kuramae & Ryogoku Side

Launch Site 2 starts firing at 19:30. It begins 30 minutes later than Launch Site 1, but both sites are scheduled to end at 20:30. It’s easy to reach from the Kuramae, Ryogoku, and Asakusabashi side, so it can be an option for travelers who want to avoid the crowds at Asakusa Station.

Sumida River Fireworks Best Spots: How to Watch from the Riverside

The Sumida River Fireworks Festival isn’t the kind of event where you spread out a picnic mat and stay put for a long time, the way people do at riverside fireworks festivals back home. The Sumida River runs through the heart of central Tokyo, where there’s almost no wide open riverbank, so even the official guidance describes the event as watching while walking along the bridges and nearby roads.

On the day of the festival there’s one-way pedestrian flow control, and after 18:00 some bridges may be closed to passage.

📌 Note: Traffic control starts at 13:00 around Sakurabashi Bridge (桜橋), from 15:00 around the Sumida City Office Uruoi Plaza, and general traffic control across the venue area starts at 18:00.

⚠️ Reception may be spotty on site, so download the PDF map in advance.

👉 Traffic-control-area guide map (English, PDF)

The area around Asakusa and Skytree in particular gets extremely crowded, so if you’re visiting for the first time, it matters more to decide in advance where you’ll watch and which station you’ll leave from than to count on “sitting comfortably in one place.”

The Sumida River Fireworks Festival is split between Launch Site 1 and Launch Site 2. If you want to see the fireworks up close, go for Launch Site 1 on the Asakusa and Skytree side; if you want to avoid the crowds even a little, consider Launch Site 2 on the Kuramae and Ryogoku side as well.

That said, the spots below are not officially designated seats. They’re free viewing candidates that work well for travelers to keep in mind. Entry may be restricted depending on the traffic controls and on-site guidance on the day.

1️⃣ Launch Site 1: Asakusa & Skytree Side

2️⃣ Launch Site 2: Kuramae & Ryogoku Side

📌 Tips by Time of Day for Claiming a Spot

📌 Things to Know Before Watching

✅ Don’t fixate on getting as close as possible

If you push your way too close to the launch point and end up blocked by a building or the crowd, you may actually struggle to see properly. If it’s your first visit, choosing a spot with a clear line of sight, even a little further back, is the more reliable bet.

✅ Marking a spot in advance is prohibited

According to the official guidance, marking a spot on the roads, parks, and so on with tape, chalk, spray, and the like is prohibited. Anything judged to be an advance spot marker may be removed.

✅ Watching from a picnic mat is difficult in the main areas

The official guidance also explains that the Sumida River Fireworks Festival doesn’t have much space for sitting and is an event you watch while walking. In popular areas like Sumida Park and around Sakurabashi, spreading out a mat and staying for a long time is realistically difficult.

✅ Use the restrooms in advance

The temporary toilets get very crowded. Use the public restrooms at your station or around the venue in advance.

👉 Restroom map around the festival venue

✅ There are no food stalls (yatai) around the venue

For safety and security reasons, selling food and goods in the parks and roads around the venue is prohibited. Prepare snacks and drinks in advance.

✅ Drones are strictly prohibited

Flying small unmanned aircraft (drones) is officially prohibited to prevent accidents.

✅ Go easy on selfie sticks

Using selfie sticks in crowded places is discouraged in the official guidance.

✅ No smoking outside designated areas

Smoking outside the designated smoking areas is prohibited. Smoking while walking is especially forbidden, as it risks burns and damage to clothing.

✅ Watch for falling firework debris (official guidance)

Near the venue, firework debris may fall. The official guidance advises protecting yourself with a towel, glasses, and the like.

✅ It’s best not to rush straight to the nearest station after it ends

After the festival ends, nearby stations such as Asakusa, Oshiage, and Ryogoku get very crowded. If you can, consider walking to a station one stop away, or spending a little time at a nearby cafe or restaurant before you head off.

Skytree, Cruise & Hotel Viewing Options

If you’d like to avoid the riverside crowds and watch somewhere a bit safer and cooler, the paid viewing options are also worth checking.

① Sumida River Fireworks Tokyo Skytree Viewing Lottery

Tokyo Skytree runs special operating hours from 18:00 to 20:30. Tickets for the special opening are sold by lottery. Foreign travelers can take part as well, but after you apply for the lottery you can’t cancel or change it, so it’s best to apply only once your travel dates are confirmed. From the 350m observation deck and the 450m observation gallery you can look down on the fireworks at both Launch Site 1 and Launch Site 2, which makes it a good option for travelers who want to avoid the riverside crowds and watch from indoors.

⚠️ Once you apply for the lottery, you can’t cancel or change it.
⚠️ Except when the fireworks festival is canceled due to severe weather, no refunds are given.
⚠️ Depending on the weather, smoke, or visibility, the fireworks may not be clearly visible.
⚠️ Bringing in food and drink is restricted; you’ll need to use the cafe and shops inside the observation deck.
⚠️ Lottery results are announced by email.

② Sumida River Fireworks: Cruise Viewing

If you’d like to see the Sumida River Fireworks from the water, there’s cruise viewing too. The price is steep, but it’s an option worth considering when you want a special viewing experience as a family or with friends.

✅ Tokyo Cruise

✅ Klook Traditional Cruise Boat

✅ kkday Traditional Cruise Boat

③ Stay at an Asakusa Hotel + Watch the Fireworks on Foot

Hotels where you can see the fireworks from your room are expensive and often sell out early. So in practical terms, it’s more reasonable to stay at a hotel near the venue, watch from the riverside, and head quickly back to your room after it ends.

When booking a hotel, you must separately confirm whether “you can see the Sumida River fireworks from the room.” Even at the same hotel, the fireworks may not be visible depending on the room’s direction, floor, and window position.

Sumida River Fireworks FAQ: Things to Know Before Watching

Q1. Can I spread out a mat and watch while seated?

The Sumida River Fireworks Festival isn’t an event where you spread a mat on a wide open riverbank and stay for a long time, the way you might at a major riverside fireworks festival. The official guidance also describes it as closer to watching while walking along the bridges and roads around the venue. Around Sumida Park and Sakurabashi the crowds are heavy, so mat viewing is realistically difficult.

Q2. Can I claim a spot in advance?

Claiming a spot in advance isn’t allowed. Marking your spot on the roads, parks, and so on with tape, chalk, spray, and the like is prohibited. Anything judged to be a spot marker may be removed, so on site you need to follow the directions of the police and event staff.

Q3. By what time should I arrive?

If it’s your first visit, it’s best to have your viewing area decided by 16:00-17:00 at the latest. After 18:00 some bridges and roads may be closed to passage, and it can become hard to move in the direction you want. Once the Launch Site 1 firing begins at 19:00, it’s safer to watch from your current spot than to move.

Q4. What should I bring for a late-July Tokyo fireworks festival?

Late-July Tokyo is hot and humid. With a light summer outfit, it’s good to bring a water bottle, a towel, a folding fan or handheld electric fan, and salty snacks to replenish electrolytes. Since you’ll be walking for a long time along the riverside and around the stations, comfortable sneakers are better than sandals.

Q5. Which station should I head to after watching?

Right after the festival ends, nearby stations such as Asakusa, Oshiage, and Ryogoku get very crowded. Rather than going straight into a station, it’s a good idea to walk to a station one stop away, or to spend a little time at a nearby cafe or restaurant before moving. If you plan to head toward Ueno or Akihabara, check your route home in advance.

The Sumida River Fireworks Festival 2026 is Tokyo’s signature summer fireworks event, held with about 20,000 fireworks. If it’s your first visit, it matters more to decide first which station you’ll enter from and where you’ll leave than to settle on where to watch.

If you want the Asakusa and Skytree view, go for Launch Site 1; if you want to avoid the crowds a little, consider Launch Site 2 on the Kuramae and Ryogoku side. If the riverside crowds feel like too much, the Skytree special opening, the cruises, and a hotel stay are all worth comparing as well.

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