Itami City Fireworks Festival
3,500 fireworks light the Inagawa River as Itami’s signature autumn display combines music, playful character fireworks and a spectacular golden finale.
Itami sends October out with a bang. On Halloween night, around 3,500 fireworks will rise above the Inagawa River for the 46th Itami City Fireworks Festival, filling the riverbanks around Kōzu Bridge with color, music and one of the region’s long-running community fireworks traditions. The show begins at 18:30 and runs for approximately 45 minutes, with viewing areas spread along both sides of the river. Traditionally a summer festival, Itami moved the event into autumn after increasingly intense summer heat and feedback from residents made cooler weather an increasingly attractive alternative. In 2026, that puts fireworks in the sky on October 31.
The display has always mixed big fireworks with a little personality. Rapid-fire sequences and fireworks synchronized to music build across the river, while playful designs—including Tamimaru, Itami City’s bird mascot—give spectators something unexpected to watch for between the larger bursts. Then comes the moment everyone is waiting for: the festival’s enormous “Golden Weeping Willow.” Trails of gold spread high above the Inagawa before slowly cascading toward the dark water below.
And you don’t need to arrive just before 18:30. Food and festival stalls begin opening during the afternoon, gradually turning the riverbanks into a traditional hanabi taikai gathering as people claim viewing spots, eat, drink and wait for darkness. Free viewing remains available, while expanded paid areas offer reserved options closer to the action. Come early enough and the anticipation becomes part of the evening—the river filling with people before the first explosion suddenly pulls every eye toward the sky.
The Itami fireworks tradition stretches back decades, although recent years have brought some unusual changes. After cancellations in 2020 and 2021, the festival returned with its 42nd edition in 2022. Its move away from the traditional August date began in 2025, when the Osaka-Kansai Expo and changes to neighboring fireworks schedules raised concerns about unusually large summer crowds. Around 60,000 people still turned out despite the rain. This year brings another twist: the October 31 date puts the fireworks on Halloween, when the separately organized Itami Halloween Park & Tour brings costumes and trick-or-treating to the city earlier in the day. The two aren’t officially connected, but they make for an unusually lively autumn Saturday in Itami.
Then, as darkness settles over the Inagawa, find your place along the river, grab something from the stalls and settle in. The music starts, the first shells climb into the night and 45 minutes later the Golden Weeping Willow sends one last cascade of light toward the water below.
3,500 Fireworks – A concentrated 45-minute display above the Inagawa River.
Golden Willow Finale – Cascading gold provides Itami’s signature closing spectacle.
Tamimaru in the Sky – Look for fireworks inspired by Itami City’s bird mascot.
Music & Fireworks – Choreographed sequences bring rhythm to the riverside show.
Halloween Night – The 2026 festival brings fireworks to Halloween Night, October 31 for the first time.
Photos: Official Itami City Festival Website
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Opening Hours
THE SCENE: FAQ’s
ACCESS
Venue: Inagawa Riverbed around Kōzu Bridge
Address: Kuchisakai, Itami, Hyogo
Trains:
JR Takarazuka Line → Itami Station → approximately 10 minutes on foot
Hankyu Itami Line → Itami Station → approximately 20 minutes on foot
Subways:
Metro Midosuji Line → Umeda ↔ JR Osaka Station → JR Takarazuka Line → Itami Station
There is no parking at the venue, and surrounding roads will be subject to traffic restrictions. Temporary bicycle parking will be available, but Itami City warns that it can also fill up. Public transportation is strongly recommended.
Despite being across the prefectural border in Hyogo, Itami is an easy trip from central Osaka—JR Itami Station is approximately 15–20 minutes from Osaka Station, followed by a 10-minute walk to the river.
SCHEDULE
Saturday, October 31, 2026
Around 15:00 – Food and festival stalls begin opening along the riverbanks.
By 18:00 – Itami City recommends arriving by this time because crowds become particularly heavy immediately before the fireworks.
18:30 – 46th Itami City Fireworks Festival begins.
Approximately 19:15 – Fireworks conclude after around 45 minutes.
Around 21:00 – Food and festival stalls close.
The festival is cancelled in severe weather with no postponement date. The city also warns that leaving the riverfront after the show can take more than an hour because of crowd controls, so don’t plan a tight connection immediately afterward.
TICKETS
Free viewing is available, so you do not need a ticket to attend the Itami City Fireworks Festival. The main venue on the east side of the Inagawa includes the free viewing area and food stalls.
Paid reserved viewing is offered in a separate area on the west side of the river:
- Pair Table & Chairs: ¥18,000 for two — Sold out
- Chair Seat: ¥5,000 per person — Sold out
- Sheet Area: ¥30,000 for up to six people — Sold out
- Camera Seat: ¥8,000 per person — Sold out
- A Area: ¥3,000 per person — Currently available
The ¥3,000 A Area is unreserved within the designated paid area. Bring your own leisure sheet up to approximately 90 × 90 cm per person. Some of the fireworks may be partially obscured by the water-pipe bridge from this section. Tickets are sold through Ticket Pia; there are no same-day ticket sales.
Preschool children do not require their own paid-seat ticket when sitting with a parent or guardian. If severe weather causes cancellation before the fireworks begin, paid tickets are refundable; if the event is stopped after launching has begun, refunds are not provided.
For 2026, Itami offers fireworks viewing seats as Furusato Tax return gifts at these donation levels:
- S Area table + 2 chairs: ¥60,000 donation
- S Area chair: ¥17,000 donation per person
- S Area sheet: ¥100,000 donation, up to 6 people
- A Area free-seating section: ¥11,000 donation per person
There is one important restriction: because these are Furusato Tax return gifts, Itami City residents cannot receive the seats. They are intended for donors living outside Itami.
Official Paid Seating:
https://www.city.itami.lg.jp/SOSIKI/TOSHIKATSURYOKU/TOSID/itamihanabitaikai/48930.html
THE EXPERIENCE
Itami packs around 3,500 fireworks into just 45 minutes, creating a concentrated riverside show that mixes large-scale bursts with music, playful designs and a signature finale.
- Music-Synchronized Fireworks – Choreographed sequences bring rhythm and momentum to the display.
- Tamimaru Fireworks – Watch for a playful appearance inspired by Itami City’s bird mascot.
- Golden Weeping Willow – The signature finale sends long trails of gold cascading across the night sky.
- Riverside Atmosphere – Food stalls, drinks and thousands of spectators build the hanabi taikai mood throughout the afternoon.
- Halloween Night – For 2026, fireworks arrive on October 31, following separately organized Halloween festivities elsewhere in Itami.
Come early enough to enjoy the riverfront before dark. The anticipation is part of the experience: food in hand, crowds settling along the Inagawa and then the first shell suddenly climbing into the sky.
INFO & TIPS
Arrive Early
Itami City specifically recommends reaching the venue by 18:00. The riverbanks and approaches become heavily congested shortly before the 18:30 launch.
Free Really Does Mean Free
You don’t need a reserved-seat ticket. Free viewing is available at the main venue on the east side of the Inagawa; the west-side sub-venue, however, is entirely paid and requires a ticket.
Stay for the Stalls
Food and festival stalls operate approximately 15:00–21:00, giving you plenty of reason to arrive before the fireworks. Stalls are available in the free main venue as well as the paid sub-venue.
Don’t Rush for the Station
The biggest logistical issue may come after the fireworks. Itami City warns that leaving the venue can take more than an hour, and spectators may temporarily be held in place while crowds are dispersed safely. Give yourself time rather than joining the immediate rush.
No Rain Date
Severe weather means cancellation, not postponement. Check the official city information before leaving if conditions look questionable.
Halloween Before the Fireworks
The separately organized Itami Halloween Park & Tour takes place earlier on October 31 in central Itami. It isn’t officially part of the fireworks festival, but the timing makes it possible to combine daytime Halloween activities with the evening fireworks.
Watch from Home
Itami City plans to livestream the fireworks on YouTube. One limitation: because of copyright restrictions, the livestream does not carry the music used for the synchronized fireworks, so watching beside the Inagawa remains a rather different experience.
Leave the Drone at Home
Drone flights are prohibited at and around the venue. Unauthorized flying can interrupt the fireworks display and may result in penalties.
Official Site:
https://www.city.itami.lg.jp/SOSIKI/TOSHIKATSURYOKU/TOSID/itamihanabitaikai/47626.html
Paid Seating:
https://www.city.itami.lg.jp/SOSIKI/TOSHIKATSURYOKU/TOSID/itamihanabitaikai/48930.html
Organizer: Itami City Fireworks Festival Committee
Contact: Itami City Urban Brand & Tourism Strategy Division