Hokkaido's premier winter event, the Sapporo Snow Festival, has finally kicked off for 2026. This year marks the 76th festival, featuring over 200 snow and ice sculptures across three sites: Odori, Susukino, and Tsudome. From day one, the festival has been bustling with visitors from Japan and around the world. In this article, a local writer brings you a special report from the Odori Site, covering the must-see snow sculptures, hands-on activities, and key highlights discovered while walking through the venue.

▼Click here for night views and gourmet reports from the Sapporo Snow Festival Odori Site!

A visit to the TV Tower's observation deck is also recommended

At the base of the TV Tower in Odori 1-chome, there's a "Yukita" activity corner where you can simulate snowboarding using a special board you can ride with your shoes on. Here, you can also have your photo taken with a Fujifilm "Cheki" instant camera, and the memorable picture will be printed for you on the spot.

"instax™ 'Cheki' presents Yukita Activity"

Warm up your chilled body! The footbath corner

The "Food Hospitality Market" is also being held under the TV Tower (until Feb. 12), with 12 food stalls.

A lineup of unique citizen-made snow sculptures

Here you'll find the citizen-made snow sculptures, which could be called the stars of the Snow Festival. A total of 80 sculptures created by citizen groups are on display across 2-chome and 9-chome. A popularity contest is also being held, and you can vote through the official Snow Festival app, "Sapporo Gourmet Coupon."

Surreal? A snow sculpture by Hokkaido University's Faculty of Dental Medicine

There's also a humorous sculpture of a bear being bitten by a salmon

In 9-chome, there's a slightly larger medium-sized snow sculpture titled "Hokkaido Sweets Party"

Enjoy skating without bringing any gear

The annual skating rink, a casual and fun attraction, is back again this year! Skates are available for rent, so you can enjoy skating empty-handed (gloves are required). Admission tickets, including skate rental, are 3,000 JPY for the general public, 1,500 JPY for Sapporo citizens, 1,000 JPY for high school students and younger, and 500 JPY for Sapporo citizens in that age group.

Skating can also be enjoyed at night, with support equipment available for beginners

Additionally, a special "Shin Ramyun" booth is set up around the skating rink. Here, you can purchase event-exclusive Shin Ramyun merchandise and participate in free tasting sessions. A DJ booth is also installed at the venue, and from 7:00 PM on Fridays through Sundays, you can skate to K-pop-centered music.

The venue stands out with its bright red "Shin Ramyun" color

The rooftop of the special booth is open as an observation deck. It's a perfect photo spot with a clear view all the way to the TV Tower!

The festival's main attraction, the large snow sculptures, are installed at various sites again this year

From here on, the festival's famous large snow sculptures make their appearance. In Odori 4-chome, you'll find a sculpture of the National Treasure "Hollow Dogu." The Hollow Dogu is a large clay figurine made in the late Jomon period (about 3,000 years ago) and is a national treasure unearthed in Hakodate. The snow sculpture stands at an impressive height of 13 meters!

At night, it's lit up, taking on a truly divine appearance

Numerous food stalls are also present. Enjoy Hokkaido-style cuisine from ramen to buttered potatoes

In addition, there are medium-sized snow sculptures from the smartphone games "Blue Archive" and "Arknights," as well as a small snow sculpture from the anime "Milky☆Subway."

A large snow sculpture featuring a thoroughbred. At night...

Hokkaido is known as one of Japan's leading horse breeding regions. In particular, 98% of the thoroughbreds produced in Japan are born in Hokkaido. This year, a large snow sculpture inspired by these thoroughbreds has been installed.

Projection mapping is held at night! The sight of the galloping horses is incredibly powerful

Furthermore, at the "Yotsuba Milk Stand" by Yotsuba Milk Products, various menu items using their own dairy products like butter and cheese are offered, in addition to hot milk for 100 JPY per cup.

A diverse menu including cream croquettes, cheese meat buns, and milk oshiruko is available for 100 to 500 JPY

The "Sapporo Snow Sculpture Exhibition" created by artists who usually work with sculpture and other art forms

In Odori 6-chome, the "Sapporo Snow Sculpture Exhibition" is being held by five artists active mainly in Sapporo, from the Hongo Shin Memorial Museum of Sculpture, Sapporo in Miyanomori. You can enjoy snow sculptures with a unique atmosphere, different from the others.

The Kewpie Mayonnaise medium-sized snow sculpture is back again this year

Snow sculptures of Chiikawa, Hachiware, and Usagi are also here

Additionally, snow sculptures of Chiikawa, Hachiware, and Usagi from the popular character "Chiikawa"'s smartphone app "Chiikawa Pocket" are also on display. There are also promotions where you can get a clear card if you have the app downloaded, or a sticker for posting with a hashtag.

Also, in advance of next year's Sapporo International Art Festival (SIAF), a pre-event is being held at the Snow Festival site. In the outdoor space, a Snow Festival version of the large art piece "HIWADORAME," which gained attention at the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, is on display. Inside a special tent, art pieces created in workshops by elementary and junior high school students from Sapporo are exhibited.

Inside the special tent, works created by elementary and junior high school students using programming are projected

Large snow sculpture of Hokkaido University's Furukawa Hall

The centerpiece of Odori 7-chome is the large snow sculpture of Hokkaido University's Furukawa Hall, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. Furukawa Hall is a French Renaissance-style building constructed in 1909 and is a registered tangible cultural property of Japan. At the site, student groups are holding stage events and exhibition booths, and official Hokkaido University merchandise is also for sale.

This one also features projection mapping at night

In addition, various other snow sculptures are installed, including a medium-sized one with a slide, and small sculptures from the TV anime "Jujutsu Kaisen" and "Dr. STONE."

There's also a collaboration snow sculpture for the currently showing movie "Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Witch of Circe"

Amazingly intricate! The large snow sculpture of Aizu Tsuruga Castle

In Odori 8-chome, a large snow sculpture of Aizu Tsuruga Castle, famous for its role in the Boshin War at the end of the Edo period, welcomes you. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the reconstruction of Tsuruga Castle's keep, and this large snow sculpture commemorates the memorial year. The sculpture was created using a unique technique called the "ice block method," which allows for exquisite detail. Next to the snow sculpture, there are booths selling Aizu's local products and Japanese sake.

The nighttime projection mapping expresses the changing of the four seasons

A medium-sized snow sculpture for the smartphone game "GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE." Characters make appearances for photo opportunities.

A must-see large snow sculpture for Star Wars fans

Odori 10-chome features a large collaboration snow sculpture for the new film in the classic "Star Wars" series, "Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu" (to be released on May 22). Astronaut Soichi Noguchi, who was inspired by Star Wars to pursue his career, also attended the unveiling event, creating a huge buzz at the site.

A welcome treat for a cold body and empty stomach! A special booth where you can eat hot Cup Noodle

Also, at the special Cup Noodle booth, you can eat "freshly made" Cup Noodle produced at the Nissin Chitose factory in Sapporo. It's a rare taste you can only experience here, and it will warm you up from the inside out.

It's back again this year! The popular "Cup Noodle Slide" for kids

The annual Snow Miku snow sculpture! This year's costume theme is "Happy Patisserie"

In Odori 11-chome, a medium-sized snow sculpture of "Snow Miku," the character who supports Hokkaido, welcomes visitors. This year's costume theme is "Happy Patisserie," and it's drawing large crowds eager to get a glimpse. At night, along with the adjacent snow sculpture of 【Oshi no Ko】, a light-up show synchronized with music is performed using the "COUGEN" lighting control system.

In addition, the "International Snow Sculpture Contest" is being held, with 10 teams participating from countries and regions around the world. Each team will create their sculptures during the festival period.

The international snow sculptures were still under construction at the time of reporting (until the 6th). Teams from Austria, Hawaii, Indonesia, and more are participating.

There's also a bust of Dr. Clark, famous for the phrase "Boys, be ambitious"

The Odori Site stretches about 1.5 km from 1-chome to 11-chome. There are many rest spots and food booths, so there's plenty to enjoy besides the snow sculptures. Please note that the north and south sides of the park are one-way for pedestrian traffic. Be sure to enjoy this special time in Sapporo!