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This article introduces key tips to help first-time visitors navigate the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival, including how to avoid common pitfalls like intense ticket competition and local logistics.
If you’re looking for a general overview of the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival and its highlights, check the article below.
Read more about Nagaoka Fireworks Festival
If you’re wondering how to get Nagaoka Fireworks tickets without going through the lottery, refer to the guide below.
Read more about How to Get Nagaoka Fireworks Tickets Without the Lottery
The Nagaoka Grand Fireworks Festival is considered one of Japan’s top three fireworks festivals.
Its immense scale and powerful displays have made it extremely popular—and with that popularity comes intense ticket competition and heavy crowds on the day of the event.
Attendance has been rising year by year.
| Year | Number of Spectators |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 340,000 |
| 2023 | 295,000 |
The Nagaoka Fireworks Festival offers paid seating only.
This means that you must purchase a ticket to watch the fireworks at the venue.
Tickets are distributed via a lottery system, and only winners can purchase them. A small portion is made available on a first-come, first-served basis after that—but demand is extremely high.
So the first big challenge: Getting a ticket.
Ticket from the Nagaoka Grand Fireworks Festival sent by mail after winning the lottery
After the fireworks end, roads and public transport become extremely congested.
“I drove, but the traffic was so bad the car didn’t move at all.”
“I took the train, but the station was so packed I couldn’t get on.”
If you’re unaware of this in advance, the excitement from the show can quickly turn into exhaustion. And this is a very real scenario for the massively popular Nagaoka Fireworks Festival.
If you’re driving, you’ll eventually get home even if it takes time. But if you take the train, you need to plan around the last train departure.
The photo below shows the crowd heading toward Nagaoka Station after the festival.
This photo was taken around 9:35 pm. Even more people will flood into the station after this. The area in front of Nagaoka Station becomes extremely crowded.
If you plan to use public transportation, be sure to factor in your return time and act accordingly.
That said, in recent years, station access and crowd control measures have been well-organized. Most people are reportedly able to board trains or Shinkansen successfully.
For the 2025 Nagaoka Fireworks Festival, general lottery ticket sales start on May 26. Details are below:
Application period: May 26 (Mon) 12:00 – June 6 (Fri) 17:00
https://nagaokamatsuri.com/ticket/generalsale/
You must be a registered Rakuten member to apply. If you win, payment is processed through your Rakuten account, and tickets are shipped to your Rakuten-registered address. Make sure your credit card is valid and your address is up to date.
Lottery results will be sent via email on June 17 (Mon) after 6:00 pm.
If you’re visiting from outside Japan, there’s a separate site and process. Application methods differ from domestic procedures, so please check the following link:
Nagaoka Fireworks 2025 International Visitor's Ticket Site
Based on my own experience attending the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival, here are practical tips to help you secure a ticket and enjoy the event comfortably.
(*Note: The resale system is only available for residents of Japan. Overseas visitors are not eligible.)
The general ticket lottery is not guaranteed.
If you lose the lottery, you cannot purchase paid spectator tickets.
However, if there are leftover seats, first-come-first-served online sales may follow.
Even then, missing out means no ticket.
But don’t give up yet.
There’s still a way to get tickets: the resale system (official re-sale).
Resale allows people who won tickets in the lottery but can no longer attend to list their tickets for re-sale.
Put simply, these are canceled tickets.
The Nagaoka Fireworks Festival’s organizer, the Nagaoka Fireworks Foundation, manages this official re-sale process.
Below is the schedule for the 2025 ticket lottery and resale system:
| April 10 – April 30 | Advance Lottery for Nagaoka Residents Apply via postcard only (Postcards distributed in the April city newsletter) |
|---|---|
| By May 23 (Fri) | Lottery results announced |
| May 26 (Mon) – June 6 (Fri) | General Lottery Sales Online only |
| June 17 (Tue) | Lottery results announced |
| June 30 (Mon) – July 11 (Fri) | If tickets remain Online first - come - first - served sales |
| From July 4 (Fri) | Official Resale Online |
The final row in the schedule above—“Official Resale”—refers to the resale system.
| April 10 – April 30 | Advance Lottery for Nagaoka Residents Postcard only |
|---|---|
| Late May | Lottery results announced |
| May 27 – June 7 | General Lottery Sales Online only |
| June 17 (Mon) after 18:00 | Lottery results announced |
| June 27 (Thu) – July 12 (Fri) | Online first - come - first - served sales |
| July 8 (Mon) 12:00 – July 24 (Wed) 23:59 | Official Resale Online |
| April 10 – April 28 | Advance Lottery for Nagaoka Residents Online or postcard |
|---|---|
| By May 26 | Lottery results announced |
| May 29 – June 9 | General Lottery Sales Online only |
| By June 16 | Lottery results announced |
| June 19 – June 23 | If tickets remain Online first - come - first - served sales |
| June 26 – July 14 | Official Resale Online or by phone |
Tickets | Official Website of Nagaoka Fireworks Festival (Nagaoka Fireworks Foundation)
Like many others, resale is first-come, first-served.
However, here’s the key point: resale tickets are not released all at once.
Whenever someone who previously secured a ticket can no longer attend and completes the resale process, the ticket becomes available for purchase on the resale site.
In other words, you never know exactly when tickets will appear.
That’s why checking the resale site repeatedly—especially around the start of the resale period—increases your chances of success.
Here’s a screenshot of a paid spectator ticket I successfully purchased through the resale system.
I bought this ticket two days after resale began on June 26—on June 28.
Even though resale is first-come, first-served, tickets don’t necessarily sell out instantly. As long as you stay persistent and keep checking, you can get a paid spectator ticket.
There is one caveat when using the resale system:
The tickets available for resale are listed in exact sets as canceled.
For example, if someone cancels “4 tickets in the A Venue South Area,” the resale listing will offer all 4 tickets as a single unit.
You can’t purchase just 2 of those 4 tickets.
You can’t predict:
So it’s important to evaluate carefully and be ready to purchase. Always double-check the location and quantity before buying resale tickets.
For reference, even after I bought mine, I continued monitoring the resale site and saw listings appear throughout the official resale period.
If you don’t give up, you will eventually secure tickets. It’s worth the effort—this fireworks festival is truly amazing.
Unauthorized resale of Nagaoka Fireworks tickets is strictly prohibited. Selling tickets without the organizer’s approval is banned, and entry is denied for those using resold tickets.
Always purchase through the official resale system.
Also, starting in 2025, all tickets will include the buyer’s name. If the ticket was bought through unofficial channels, and the name doesn’t match the attendee, you may be denied entry.
If you plan to drive to the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival, parking will be a major issue.
There are no free parking lots near the venue on the day of the event.
Most available lots are paid—and when comparing prices, the official paid parking provided by the event organizers is usually the most affordable option.
Rates typically range from ¥1,000 to ¥4,000, and many lots are close to the venue. (Shuttle buses operate from more distant lots.)
However, these official lots sell out instantly once reservations open.
If you get your tickets via the resale system, they may not arrive in time to book official parking. That’s because the parking reservation requires a code included with the mailed ticket, which might not arrive before the reservation window opens.
Given the massive number of attendees, the official parking lots aren’t enough.
On the day of the event, private homes and businesses also offer their parking spaces—for a fee.
You can book these through a site called Nokisaki Parking, which is officially recommended by the organizers.
But prices skyrocket.
Near the venue: ¥20,000+ Around Nagaoka Station (a bit farther): ¥10,000 to ¥17,000
(For comparison, half-day parking in regional cities in Japan normally costs around ¥1,000 to ¥2,000.)
After all the effort to secure tickets, seeing these prices can be disheartening.
So let’s look at how to avoid this problem.
Here’s how I personally avoided both the high parking fees and the post-event traffic jams.
Note: This approach is tailored to Venue A. If you’re heading to Venue B, adjust accordingly.
Please also note that situations may vary year to year. These tips are based on personal experience—use your judgment and proceed at your own risk.
Although the driving school is not very close to the venue, we recommend reserving parking there.
Address: 3-1-1 Zao, Nagaoka, Niigata 940-0028
Here’s the location relative to the venue: about 1.5 km to Nagaoka Bridge and 3.6 km to the southern part of Venue A. (Don’t worry—we’ll explain how that distance won’t be an issue.)
Parking at the driving school costs ¥7,000—not exactly cheap, but still more affordable than the ¥10,000+ private lots.
Below is a screenshot of the e-ticket you receive when booking parking through Nokisaki Parking. Simply show this on your phone to the staff at the entrance.
(Please note: Showing this image from the article will NOT grant entry. Be sure to book via Nokisaki Parking and receive a valid ticket.)
There are plenty of parking spots available, so this is one of the few lots you can reliably reserve in advance.
Here’s the crucial part.
Once you arrive at the driving school, call a local taxi company to arrange a pickup.
You might think there’s no way a taxi would come near the crowded festival area—but surprisingly, you can still get one.
In my case, I called around to several taxi companies for about 10 minutes and was able to get a ride. The taxi arrived in about 5 minutes.
It’s a packed and popular event, but taxis can be summoned. Don’t give up.
Here’s a list of taxi companies operating in Nagaoka City. Bookmark this article so you can quickly reference it on the day of the event.
While taxis are often available near the venue, the number of spectators increases every year. So don’t assume you’ll always get a taxi via phone.
Make sure to confirm an alternative walking route in advance.
From the driving school, for example, you can walk about 10 minutes to Kita-Nagaoka Station.
If you end up walking, pack light. Even if you get a taxi, you’ll still have to walk part of the way to your seat.
Taxis are a great option, but you can’t book them in advance. Be prepared for a bit of uncertainty.
So why bother with taxis?
The driving school is about 1.5 km from Nagaoka Bridge and 3.6 km from the south area of Venue A.
Despite the distance, you can usually get to the venue for just ¥1,000 to ¥1,200, taking about 5 to 8 minutes.
Compare that to walking 10+ minutes to Kita-Nagaoka Station in the summer heat, boarding a crowded train to Nagaoka Station, and then walking another 15+ minutes—this taxi fare is totally worth it.
Even better, taxis are allowed to drive close to the venue.
Drop-off-only route for taxis near the venue
As marked in the images above, the drop-off point near the Venue A south area only cost us around ¥1,000 to ¥1,200—sometimes less.
It’s an excellent way to save time and energy.
The walk from the fireworks venue back to Nagaoka Bunka Driving School takes about 40 minutes.
Start walking in that direction—and try to flag down a taxi along the way.
If you’re able to get a taxi, it’ll take about 5 minutes to reach the driving school. The fare is the same as going: around ¥1,000 to ¥1,200.
I stayed until nearly the end of the fireworks show and left the venue at 9:20 pm. I reached the driving school by 10:00 pm using this method.
If you can’t get a taxi, you’ll have to walk the full distance—so be mentally prepared for that.
If you don’t mind taking time, you could also consider walking to Kita-Nagaoka Station and riding a crowded train from there.
As long as you return to the driving school relatively quickly after the fireworks end, you can avoid traffic jams.
The roads leading to the expressway—and the expressway itself—were completely clear. I made it back to my hotel near Niigata Station with no delays.
I arrived at my hotel around 11:00 pm. It was a surprisingly smooth and stress-free return.
Once the fireworks end, tens of thousands of people all try to leave at once. Even if you manage to park near the venue, it’s often so crowded that cars can barely move—and you’ll likely get stuck in traffic trying to leave.
That’s why parking a little farther from the venue and using a taxi for the final stretch can be the fastest and most efficient option.
You’ll avoid traffic jams, get back quickly, and potentially save money. It’s a smart way to enjoy the fireworks—just be aware that it comes with some risks, like the possibility of not getting a taxi.
If you plan to take the Shinkansen from Nagaoka Station after the fireworks, expect crowds and a wait.
However, extra Shinkansen trains run in both directions (Tokyo and Niigata), and according to reports from the 2023 festival, most people were able to board the trains without issue.
If you’re okay with some crowding, traveling by train instead of car is definitely a viable option.
Hotels in Nagaoka and Niigata fill up very quickly.
And during the fireworks festival, hotel prices skyrocket. Book early to stay within budget.
Hotel prices during the festival range from ¥20,000 to ¥40,000 per night on average. A few rooms under ¥20,000 exist, but they’re rare.
Normally, budget city hotels in Japan cost about ¥4,000 to ¥5,000, so this is a huge increase.
Some hotels near Niigata Station were charging up to 10 to 20 times their usual rates.
Normal hotel rates
Rates during the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival
| Hotel Name | Normal Rate | Festival Rate | Increase Factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juraku Stay Niigata | ¥3,700 | ¥35,400 | 9.57× |
| Art Hotel Niigata Ekimae | ¥4,700 | ¥42,300 | 9× |
| Hotel Livemax Niigata Ekimae | ¥4,675 | ¥100,000 | 21.39× |
Yes, it’s hard to get tickets. Yes, hotel prices skyrocket. Yes, parking is expensive and traffic is a nightmare.
If you don’t plan properly, you might get stuck in a crowd or miss your train.
Everything about attending the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival can be overwhelming.
But—it’s absolutely worth it.
Here’s a photo from 7:00 pm, during the magical twilight hour. The sky was breathtakingly beautiful.
And once the show begins, the sheer scale and impact far surpass what you’d see in Tokyo or other cities.
One highly recommended segment is the “Phoenix Fireworks,” dedicated to disaster recovery and hope.
This stunning display spans about 2 km across the Shinano River, evoking the imagery of a phoenix rising from the ashes. For about three minutes, the fireworks light up the night sky in vivid reds, blues, greens, yellows, and more.
The reality can feel intimidating if you don’t know what to expect—but once you’re informed, there’s nothing to fear.
Plan ahead to avoid the pitfalls and come witness this breathtaking spectacle in person.
