Sapporo Snow Festival 2027: Odori Sculptures, Susukino Ice and Tsudome Slides

The 77th Sapporo Snow Festival runs from Thursday 4 February to Thursday 11 February 2027, eight days, with the same dates at Odori, Susukino and Tsudome ^{1 6}. The final day is a public holiday in Japan ¹.

The biggest change is at Odori. Starting with the 2027 festival, the Ground Self-Defense Force will build one giant snow sculpture instead of two ⁷. The force has helped build sculptures since 1955 ⁵. On 25 August 2026, Sapporo’s mayor formally asked the force to support the 2027 festival, including the large sculptures ⁶.

For scale, the 2026 Odori site had large sculptures at five blocks ²:

• Block 4: a 13 m figure based on the Jomon “Kakku” hollow clay statue ²
• Block 5: a thoroughbred racehorse, used for projection mapping at night ²
• Block 7: Hokkaido University’s Furukawa Hall for its 150th anniversary ²
• Block 8: Aizu Tsuruga Castle, built by a total of 3,800 Self-Defense Force personnel over 30 days ²
• Block 10: a Star Wars sculpture ²

The block 11 International Snow Sculpture Contest has run since 1974 ⁵. Its 50th edition in 2026 brought 10 teams; the contest ran from 2 to 7 February, carving ran from 3 to 6 February, and Finland took first place ². Visitors could watch the carving at block 11 from 4 to 6 February 2026 ². Odori and Tsudome cannot be entered before the festival opens, so the opening days are the only chance to see contest work in progress ¹.

Detailed 2027 content for all three sites is due on the official site from mid-December 2026 ^{2 3 4}. Until then, treat sculpture subjects, stage events and projection times as unannounced.

The organiser’s FAQ states that admission is free at every site, Tsudome included ¹. Tsudome, the Sapporo Community Dome in Higashi Ward, opens from 10:00 to 16:00 ^{1 4 8}. Entry to every site is free ¹; at Tsudome the snow raft, the horse feeding and every Children's Park attraction charge, and the organiser published these prices for 2026 ⁴.

Tsudome charges in 2026 ⁴:

• Snow Raft behind a snowmobile: 1,200 JPY for adults, 600 JPY for elementary age and younger ⁴
• Children’s Park indoors: 130 JPY per point, or 1,300 JPY for an 11-point set ⁴
• Feeding and a souvenir photo with Dai-chan, the Sapporo Machibasha horse: 1,000 JPY per person, 10:00 to 15:30 ⁴
• Baggage storage at the indoor information desk: 300 JPY per item, last drop-off 15:00 ⁴

In 2026 the tube sliders used numbered tickets at weekends and holidays when crowded ⁴. That year 1,500 tickets were issued from 10:00 and 500 more from 12:00, valid only on the day of issue ⁴.

Two rules affected who could ride in 2026: a hat and gloves were required for every attraction, and children too small to wear a helmet could not ride the snow raft ⁴.

Every attraction in Tsudome’s Children’s Park was paid in points in 2026, and the 11-point set included one bonus point ⁴. A family planning a full morning there usually does better with one set per child than with single points.

The JR Rapid Airport train is the default from New Chitose Airport. The non-reserved fare was 1,230 JPY as of December 2025, and the run to Sapporo Station takes about 33 minutes on the Special Rapid or 35 to 40 minutes on the Rapid ¹⁰. From Sapporo Station, the 520 m Chi-Ka-Ho walkway leads underground to Odori ¹⁵.

The alternatives take longer ¹⁰:

• Airport limousine bus: 1,300 JPY, about 1 hour 10 minutes to Sapporo Ekimae ¹⁰
• Metered taxi: about 10,000 to 15,000 JPY, around 1 hour on the expressway ¹⁰

The bus suits a hotel beside one of its stops and heavy luggage. The bus shares the expressway with other traffic, while the train runs on its own track, which counts for more when snow is falling.

Between the festival sites ¹:

• Odori: Odori Station on the Namboku, Tozai and Toho lines, right at the park ¹
• Susukino: Susukino Station on the Namboku Line, right at the ice sculptures ¹
• Tsudome: the Toho Line to Sakaemachi, then a shuttle bus or a walk of about 15 minutes ^{1 4}

Tsudome had no general parking and no drop-off area in 2026, only seven accessible spaces for holders of an original physical disability certificate ⁴.

Odori is a public park, so the sculptures can be seen at any hour, and the lighting runs until 22:00 ¹. In 2026, projection mapping played on the large sculptures at blocks 5, 7 and 8, and block 11 had a light show set to music ¹⁶. Show times for 2027 are due from mid-December 2026 ².

A day plan built on 2026 timings ^{1 3 4}:

• Morning: Odori by daylight, when carving detail shows best
• 10:00: Tsudome opening, when the first weekend tube tickets went out ⁴
• 15:00: Susukino’s pedestrian zone opened on weekdays ³
• Dusk: Odori illuminations and the projection shows at blocks 5, 7 and 8 ¹⁶
• Until 23:00: Susukino’s ice sculptures, or 22:00 on the final day ¹

Moments to plan around, from the 2026 programme ^{2 3}:

• International contest carving at block 11, open to view from 4 to 6 February ²
• Contest awards at 11:00 on 7 February at block 10 ²
• Susukino’s ice-carving competition, from 14:30 on 4 February to 10:30 on 5 February ³
• Susukino’s opening ceremony at 18:00 on 4 February, in front of Cocono Susukino ³

For the long view, the TV Tower deck is open until 22:00, with last entry at 21:50 ⁹. At ground level, the projection is aimed at each sculpture’s face, so stand in front rather than to the side.

Tip: Walk Odori from west to east after dark and finish under the TV Tower, then ride up for the view back over the blocks.

A lot. Japan Meteorological Agency normals for 1991 to 2020 put Sapporo’s February snowfall at 116 cm, with snow falling on about 25 days of the month ¹¹. The deepest snow cover in February averages 95 cm, and the city averages 479 cm of snowfall a year ¹¹. Fresh flakes on the carvings are part of the look.

February in the same normals ¹¹:

• Average daily high: 0.4°C ¹¹
• Average daily low: -6.2°C ¹¹
• Average temperature: -2.7°C ¹¹
• Precipitation: 91.9 mm ¹¹
• Sunshine: 103.5 hours across the month ¹¹

Dress for the low, not the high.

Choosing days in 2027 ¹:

• Thursday 4 and Friday 5 February: weekday opening ¹
• Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 February: the weekend; in 2026 Tsudome used numbered tube tickets at weekends ^{1 4}
• Monday 8 to Wednesday 10 February: weekdays again ¹
• Thursday 11 February: final day and a public holiday ¹

Three nights is a comfortable minimum: one evening for Odori and Susukino, one morning for Tsudome, and one day for Otaru, whose Snow Light Path is listed for 6 to 13 February 2027 ¹².

Note: The festival closes on 11 February 2027 ¹. Heavy snow can delay trains and flights at New Chitose, so a buffer night before an international connection is safer than an early flight the next morning.

Because they keep you off the ice. The Chi-Ka-Ho walkway is 520 m long and 20 m wide, links Sapporo Station with Odori, and has been open since 12 March 2011 ¹⁵. In 2026, 12 buildings connected directly to it ¹⁵. A hotel on that corridor, or near one of its exits, turns the coldest part of the trip into a dry indoor stroll.

The three central zones, north to south:

• Around Sapporo Station: the Rapid Airport train stops underneath, and Otaru trains leave from the same station ^{10 20}
• Around Odori: the sculptures outside the door and Odori Station on three subway lines ¹
• Susukino: the 2026 ice sculptures on Ekimae-dori, Ganso Ramen Yokocho and more late-night noise ^{3 19}

Further out, hotels along the Toho Line put Tsudome closer, since Sakaemachi is on that line ¹. Otaru works as a base for anyone combining both festivals: the Rapid Airport train reaches it from Sapporo in about 30 minutes for 800 JPY ²⁰.

Booking advice:

• Book early on a cancellable rate; central rooms fill first in festival week
• Check whether the price includes the accommodation tax charged from 1 April 2026: 300 JPY per person per night under 20,000 JPY, 400 JPY up to 50,000 JPY, and 1,000 JPY above ¹³
• Confirm the hotel stores luggage, since the airport train arrives before most check-in times

The City of Sapporo also opens temporary baggage storage for festival visitors, listed on the organiser’s FAQ ¹.

It drains batteries. Apple says iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch work best at ambient temperatures between 0°C and 35°C, and that battery life drops in very cold conditions, recovering once the battery warms up ¹⁸. Sapporo’s average February high is 0.4°C and its average low is -6.2°C ¹¹. An evening at the Odori projection shows therefore sits at or below the bottom of that range. Keep the phone in an inside pocket between photos, carry a power bank, and wear gloves with touchscreen fingertips.

Free Wi-Fi covers much of the festival ground. Sapporo City Wi-Fi, launched on 1 October 2015, works in Odori Park from block 1 to block 11, in Chi-Ka-Ho and at subway stations on three lines ¹⁷. Each connection lasts 30 minutes, reconnections are unlimited, and sign-up uses an email address or a social media login ¹⁷. The portal runs in Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean and Thai ¹⁷.

What the phone handles during the festival:

• The organiser’s site for block layouts and the 2027 programme, due from mid-December 2026 ²
• Subway and JR timetables, including snow delays on the Rapid Airport line
• Camera translation of ramen ticket machines and menus
• Live location for regrouping at the TV Tower end of Odori

Coverage details for a Japan data plan are on the Japan eSIM page.

Tip: A hand warmer in the same pocket as the phone keeps the battery going through an evening at the sculptures.

Hot, quick food eaten standing up. In 2026, block 4 had stalls from ramen to buttered potatoes, and block 10 served freshly made Cup Noodle from Nissin’s Chitose factory ^{2 16}. Block 8 planned a booth of Aizu sake and local products ². Block 1’s standing-bar Snow Lounge served hot cocktails ².

Other stops on the 2026 Odori site ¹⁶:

• Yotsuba milk stand at block 5: hot milk for 100 JPY a cup, snacks from 100 to 500 JPY ¹⁶
• Food Hospitality Market under the TV Tower: 12 food stalls ¹⁶

Tsudome’s indoor food area in 2026 had Sapporo Ramen Musashi, a parfait counter, Farmer’s Chicken and a hot cafe ⁴.

Away from the stalls, Sapporo’s winter staples:

• Miso ramen with butter and corn, the city’s signature bowl
• Ganso Sapporo Ramen Yokocho in Susukino, a ramen alley dating from 1951 ¹⁹
• Soup curry, a thin spiced broth with chicken and roasted vegetables
• Jingisukan, lamb grilled at the table on a domed iron plate
• Seafood bowls of crab, sea urchin and salmon roe at morning markets near Odori

What to bring home:

• Official festival goods from the official shops at Odori and Tsudome ^{1 4}
• Hokkaido dairy sweets from department store food halls
• Vacuum-packed seafood made for flights

Carry some yen in small notes alongside a card for the smaller ramen counters and stalls.

Grip first. The organiser’s FAQ warns that road surfaces are often frozen and that shoes without grooved winter soles will slip ¹. Slip-on ice grips cost about 1,000 JPY each at the official shop on the Odori site, nearby convenience stores and JR and subway station kiosks ¹. The official shop also lends walking poles free of charge ¹. Snow falls on about 25 days of an average February ¹¹. Fresh snow often settles over older ice, so even a cleared path can be slick.

What to pack:

• Waterproof boots with a deep tread, plus slip-on ice grips
• Layered shirts and sweaters under a proper winter coat, as the organiser advises ¹
• A hat, ear muffs and gloves, all listed by the organiser ¹
• Two pairs of thick socks and disposable heat packs for evening shows

In 2026, Tsudome required a hat and gloves for every attraction ⁴.

Walking on ice:

• Take short, flat-footed steps and keep hands out of pockets
• Slow down on painted crossings and at subway entrances
• Use the 520 m Chi-Ka-Ho walkway between Sapporo Station and Odori whenever possible ¹⁵

Etiquette at the sites:

• Do not touch or climb the sculptures, and stay behind the ropes
• Follow the one-way paths along Odori; in 2026 both the north and south sides were one-way ¹⁶
• Step onto the pavement promptly when Susukino’s pedestrian time ends, as the organiser asked in 2026 ³
• Smoking, drones, balloons and pets other than assistance dogs were banned at Tsudome in 2026 ⁴

Yes, if you arrive at opening. Tsudome runs from 10:00 to 16:00 in and around the Sapporo Community Dome in Higashi Ward ^{1 4 8}. It has been the festival’s second site since 2009 ⁵.

The 2026 line-up gives a sense of what to expect ⁴:

• Chicken Ramen Tube Slider, ages 4 and up, single rider ⁴
• Family Tube Slider with no age limit; children 4 and under ride with an adult ⁴
• Snow Raft behind a snowmobile, for children able to wear a helmet ⁴
• Indoor Titan slide, about 12 m high and 32 m long, ages 4 and up ⁴
• Columbia ice slide with no age limit, plus snow play areas ⁴

The tube slider is the reason to come early: on 2026 weekends and holidays the first numbered tickets went out at 10:00 and were valid only that day ⁴. The organiser notes that attractions may stop taking riders early when crowded ¹.

Getting there: the Toho Line to Sakaemachi, then a walk of about 15 minutes or the shuttle bus ^{1 4}.

With young children:

• Do Tsudome in the morning and Odori by daylight, before the evening crowd
• Warm hands and feet in the indoor areas every hour or so
• Put a card with your phone number in each child’s coat pocket
• For a lost child, go to the indoor information desk and lost-child centre, which Tsudome ran in 2026 ⁴

With older relatives, Odori by day plus the TV Tower deck shows the sculptures with little walking on ice; preschool children ride up free ⁹.