What's on in Kyoto
15 events in September 2027: 5 festivals, 4 performances, 3 food events, 1 anime and games event, 1 garden and 1 illumination, from headline festivals to neighbourhood fairs. 14 of them are annual events whose 2027 dates are still to be confirmed, listed with their usual window.
The heat eases, with an average high of 29°C, and you'll find fewer visitors than in spring or autumn. The kawayuka platforms over the river at Pontocho stay up until the end of the month. More on the season in Things to do in Kyoto.
MapWhat's on each day of September 2027, events starting that day first. Annual events still waiting for their 2027 dates aren't listed here.
鴨川納涼床
Station Sanjo or Gion-Shijo (Keihan Line)
From 1 May the restaurants along the river in Kiyamachi, Pontocho and Saiseki serve on outdoor terraces looking across the Kamogawa to the Higashiyama hills, until 15 October. Some stop at the end of September, and breakfast, lunch and hours vary by restaurant.
Domenico Convertini, CC BY-SA 2.0 貴船の川床
Station Kibune bus stop (Kyoto Bus) from Kibuneguchi (Eizan Railway)
From May the inns and restaurants of Kibune set platforms just above the Kibune River, so you eat Kyoto cooking in the cool air of the valley with the stream running under you. About 15 places take part, and dates and hours vary by restaurant.
嵐山の鵜飼
Time 19:00 and 20:00 to 15 Aug, 18:30 and 19:30 from 17 Aug Station Saga-Arashiyama (JR Sagano Line)
Fishermen work trained cormorants on the Oi River after dark, and you watch from roofed boats alongside. Shared boats were ¥3,000 for about an hour in 2026, cash only and sold at the pier that evening, with none on 16 August, while meal and private boats are booked online.
上七軒ビアガーデン
Time 17:30 to 22:00 Station Kitano Tenmangu-mae bus stop (City Bus 50, 55, 203), 3 min walk
Kamishichiken, Kyoto's oldest geisha district, turns its kaburenjo theatre into a beer garden for the summer, and geiko and maiko in matching yukata come round and hand out their senjafuda name cards. The first set of draught beer and snacks was ¥2,500 in 2026, seats are in two-hour slots, nobody under 20 gets in, and it isn't open every night, so check the closed days.
mrhayata, CC BY-SA 2.0 北野祭
Time Rite 4 Sept, procession out 12 Sept, back 19 Sept Station Kitano-Hakubaicho (Randen Kitano Line), 5 min walk
For the 1,125th year since Sugawara no Michizane's death, Kitano Tenmangu is bringing back its old imperial festival, with a newly made mikoshi at the head of a full procession. The main rite and the Kitano Goryo-e are on 4 September, the procession goes out on 12 September and comes back on 19 September, and the shrine will post the detailed timetable later.
z tanuki, CC BY 3.0 八朔祭（松尾大社）
Time Rite 10:00 (Sunday) Station Matsuo-taisha (Hankyu Arashiyama Line)
Kyoto's last summer festival falls on the first Sunday of September, with a bon odori the night before. On the Sunday there's the rokusai nenbutsu dance, sumo in the ring south of the shrine, and lanterns from parishioners lit across the grounds and approach after dark.
KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0 重陽神事・烏相撲（上賀茂神社）
Time From 10:00 Station Kamigamo-jinja-mae bus stop (City Bus 4, 46)
On the chrysanthemum festival of 9 September, the shrine's tone attendants hop and caw like crows by the sumo ring in front of the Hosodono, then local children wrestle in two teams with the Saio-dai of the Aoi Matsuri watching. Chrysanthemum sake is served afterwards.
Kimon Berlin, CC BY-SA 2.0 観月の夕べ（大覚寺）
Time 17:30 to 21:00 (last entry 20:30) Station Daikakuji bus stop (City Bus 28, 91), 1 min walk
Around the harvest moon, boats with dragon and waterbird prows take you out on Osawa pond, counted among Japan's three great moon-viewing spots, to see the moon in the sky and in the water as Emperor Saga's court did. The boat and matcha ticket (¥7,000 in 2026) is applied for in advance, and evening entry to the pond was ¥700.
m-louis ., CC BY-SA 2.0 名月祭（平野神社）
Time Rite 18:30, performances from 19:00 Station Kinugasako-mae bus stop (City Bus)
A harvest moon rite at 18:30, then folk song, dance, koto, shakuhachi and gagaku from 19:00, with matcha served for a fee.
lienyuan lee, CC BY 3.0 名月管絃祭（下鴨神社）
Time 17:30 to 21:00 Station Shimogamo-jinja-mae bus stop (City Bus 4, 205), 1 min walk
On the harvest moon night, musicians in Heian court dress play gagaku, court dance, koto, shakuhachi and biwa on the Hashidono after a rite, and there's a paid tea seat.
Appie Verschoor, CC BY-SA 2.0 祇園社観月祭（八坂神社）
Time From 19:00 Station Gion-Shijo (Keihan)
On the harvest moon night the dance stage of Yasaka Shrine hosts court dance, gagaku, koto and taiko by lantern light, and waka poems are read aloud.
underutilized, CC BY-SA 2.0 京都国際マンガ・アニメフェア（京まふ）
Time 9:00 to 17:00 (Sunday to 16:00) Station Higashiyama (Tozai Line)
One of western Japan's biggest manga, anime and game fairs, with publisher and studio booths and stage shows at Miyako Messe and ROHM Theatre Kyoto, plus events at the Kyoto International Manga Museum.
Asturio Cantabrio, CC BY-SA 4.0 晴明祭
Time Eve 19:00, procession 13:00 to 18:00 Station Ichijo Modoribashi Seimei-jinja-mae bus stop (City Bus 9, 12)
The festival of the shrine to the court diviner Abe no Seimei, on the autumn equinox and the night before. The eve has yudate kagura at 19:00 and a lantern procession of about 100 local children, and on the day the mikoshi leaves at 13:00 behind a boys' fife and drum band and goes round the parish until 18:00.
Fg2, Public domain 萩まつり（梨木神社）
Time Tea 10:00 to 15:00 Station Furitsu-Idai-Byoin-mae bus stop (City Bus 4, 17, 205)
More than 500 bush clover plants flower in the grounds of the shrine known as the Hagi no Miya, with visitors' poems tied to the branches. The festival weekend has archery, iaido, dance and music offerings and a tea seat for ¥1,200.
Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert, CC BY 4.0 嵐山月灯路
Time 18:00 to 21:00 (last entry 20:40) Station Saga-Arashiyama (JR Sagano Line), 10 min walk
The bamboo grove path is lit every evening, with a 30-metre bamboo corridor hung with 1,500 woven bamboo balls and mist drifting through the grove. In 2026 it was ¥1,500 cash at the ticket booth in the grove or ¥2,000 online, and free for 12 and under.
dconvertini, CC BY-SA 2.0 1000market（サウザンドマーケット）
Time 9:00 to 16:00 Station Gojozaka bus stop (City Bus 100, 206) or Kiyomizu-michi (207)
Kiyomizu-dera's own market on the 28th, the Fudo-son fair day, in the square in front of the gate, which you can walk into without a ticket. It started in April 2022 around traditional crafts, the environment and cutting food waste, and the stallholders are posted on Instagram.
ito1117, CC BY-SA 3.0 ガラクタ市（東寺）
Station Toji (Kintetsu Kyoto Line), 10 min walk
To-ji's smaller monthly market of antiques and handmade goods, held on the first Sunday rather than the big Kobo-ichi on the 21st.
平安蚤の市
Time 9:00 to 16:00 Station Higashiyama (Tozai Line), 10 min walk
More than 100 dealers in antiques and secondhand goods set up in Okazaki Park in front of Heian Shrine. Dates move from month to month and are often weekdays, and rain or storms cancel it, with the call posted the afternoon before.
Manish Prabhune, CC BY 2.0 平安楽市
Time 10:00 to 16:00 Station Higashiyama (Tozai Line), 10 min walk
A market of makers' own crafts and snacks in Okazaki Park, about once a month on dates the organiser posts, often on a weekday. In 2026 there was none in September or October, and the August one ran from 16:00 to 20:00.
Manish Prabhune, CC BY 2.0 百万遍さんの手づくり市
Time 8:00 to 16:00 Station Hyakumanben bus stop (City Bus 206), 1 min walk
Makers sell their own crafts, ceramics, clothes and food in Chion-ji's grounds on the 15th of each month. Places are allotted by lottery among applicants, and it runs in the rain.
Daderot, CC0 1.0 上賀茂手づくり市
Time 9:00 to 15:00 Station Kamigamo-jinja-mae bus stop (City Bus 4)
Stalls line the Nara-no-ogawa stream in Kamigamo Shrine's grounds, and everything is made by the seller, from jewellery, clothes and pottery to vegetables, baked sweets and bread. Check the organiser's dates, since a month with five Sundays can catch people out.
Kimon Berlin, CC BY-SA 2.0 天神市（北野天満宮）
Time 7:00 to sunset Station Kitano Tenmangu-mae bus stop (City Bus), 1 min walk
Kitano Tenmangu's market on the 25th, the date tied to Sugawara no Michizane's birth and death, is Kyoto's other big fair alongside To-ji's, strong on antiques, old tools and secondhand clothes. On market days the shrine buildings are lit after dark.
z tanuki, CC BY 3.0 弘法市（東寺）
Time About 5:00 to 16:00 Station Toji (Kintetsu Kyoto Line), 10 min walk
On the 21st of every month, Kukai's memorial day, about 1,200 to 1,300 stalls fill To-ji's grounds with antiques, old kimono and secondhand odds and ends, and about 200,000 people come. Most stallholders are dealers with shops elsewhere, it goes ahead in the rain, and stalls open from about 5:00, so come early if you're hunting for something.
京都アンティークフェア
Time 10:00 to 17:00 (last day to 16:00) Station Takeda (Karasuma Line, Kintetsu Kyoto Line), then the free shuttle bus from west exit 4
Over 300 dealers from all over Japan sell antiques and old art, furniture, paintings, Asian goods and Western antiques under one roof at Pulse Plaza, so the weather doesn't matter. Entry is free, and a free shuttle bus runs from Takeda Station.
天神市（北野天満宮）
Time All day, lanterns lit from sunset Station Kitano-Hakubaicho (Randen Kitano Line), 5 min walk
The 25th is Kitano Tenmangu's monthly fair day, and stalls line the approach all day. From sunset the shrine lights its 350 stone and 250 hanging lanterns, and 25 January and 25 December are the busiest of the year, with about a thousand stalls.
z tanuki, CC BY 3.0 弘法市（東寺）
Time 7:00 to 15:30 Station Toji (Kintetsu Kyoto Line), 6 min walk
Over 1,000 stalls fill To-ji on the 21st of every month, Kobo Daishi's memorial day, selling antiques, old tools, secondhand clothes and food to about 200,000 visitors. It runs in the rain, and the January market is Hatsu-Kobo.
梅小路公園手づくり市
Time 9:00 to 16:00 Station Umekoji-Kyotonishi (JR Sagano Line)
The sister market of the Hyakumanben one, with makers' stalls in Umekoji Park, and unlike at the temple you can bring a dog. It goes ahead in the rain.
Tam0031, CC BY-SA 3.0 梅小路公園手づくり市
Time 9:00 to 16:00 Station Umekoji-Kyotonishi (JR Sagano Line), 1 min walk
The sister market of Chion-ji's, run by the same team, sets up in Umekoji Park on the first Saturday of the month, with crafts and food sold by the people who made them. In May it joins the park's Green Fair on 3 and 4 May instead.
Tam0031, CC BY-SA 3.0 There are 15 events listed for September 2027 (5 festivals, 4 performances, 3 food events, 1 anime and games event, 1 garden and 1 illumination). The big dates are Arashiyama Tsukitouro Bamboo Light-up (30 Sept to 8 Nov, dates to be confirmed). 1 has confirmed dates and 14 are annual events whose exact 2027 dates are still to be announced, shown with the usual window. Every listing links to the interactive map.
The 5 festivals listed for September 2027 are Kitano Matsuri revival at Kitano Tenmangu (4 to 20 Sept), Hassaku-sai at Matsuo Taisha (4 to 5 Sept, dates to be confirmed), Choyo Rite and Crow Sumo at Kamigamo Shrine (9 Sept, dates to be confirmed), Kangetsu no Yube Moon Viewing at Daikaku-ji (15 to 17 Sept, dates to be confirmed) and Seimei-sai at Seimei Shrine (22 to 23 Sept, dates to be confirmed).
Yes. 4 of the 15 events listed for September 2027 are free to attend, including Kitano Matsuri revival at Kitano Tenmangu (4 to 20 Sept), Hassaku-sai at Matsuo Taisha (4 to 5 Sept, dates to be confirmed) and Seimei-sai at Seimei Shrine (22 to 23 Sept, dates to be confirmed).
The heat eases, with an average high of 29°C, and you'll find fewer visitors than in spring or autumn. The kawayuka platforms over the river at Pontocho stay up until the end of the month.
Dated events are checked against the organiser's own page, and finished events drop off the page on their own. Annual events further out carry their usual dates until the official ones are published.