2.53 Million Visit Sapporo Snow Festival; Highest Number since COVID-19 Pandemic

The Yomiuri Shimbun

11:03 JST, February 13, 2026

The 76th Sapporo Snow Festival, held in Sapporo, closed on Wednesday. During the eight-day period, visitors to the two main venues reached 2,539,000 people, a 9.1% increase from the previous year, marking the highest figure after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The increase in overseas tourists, along with consistently good weather during the festival, are seen as factors behind the rise in visitors.

An executive committee official said, “The popularity of citizen-participation snow sculptures grew through social media. We want to cherish the appeal of the Snow Festival, which isn’t just about the large snow sculptures.”