Written by Aarohi Narain
See hot air balloons soar up into the winter sky.
What happens?
Ojiya City’s signature winter festival sees dozens of colorful hot air balloons rise over a white expanse of snow. How did it all begin? Well, the event was originally started by balloonists looking for ideal winter flying conditions. Today, the festival has been taking place for five decades — quite a feat.
Mornings are for the Japan Sea Cup Cross-Country Balloon Championships, where pilots launch together at sunrise and compete in navigation tasks across the snowy landscape. Later in the day, the focus shifts to the event grounds, with snow attractions, food and beverage stalls, and short tethered balloon rides for visitors.
On Saturday night, the highlight is the Global Balloon Festival, pairing illuminated balloons with fireworks.
Schedule 2026
This year’s festival goes from Saturday, February 21, to Sunday, February 22.
At the Nishinaka venue, which hosts the balloon competition, mass launches take place twice on Saturday, February 21, with the first launch at 8 a.m. and the second at 2 p.m. On Sunday, February 22, a final mass launch begins at 8 a.m.
There will be stalls and snow attractions from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the main event grounds, the Hirazawa venue.
Tickets 2026
General admission to the festival areas is free.
Tethered hot air balloon rides, each lasting three minutes, require advance booking (no same-day sales).
For adults (high school age and up), rides cost ¥3,000. Elementary and junior high students can ride for ¥2,000, and preschoolers for ¥500.
Here’s the ride schedule and capacity:
Sat, Feb 21:
- 10–11:30 a.m. (200 people)
- 1–2:30 p.m. (200 people)
Sun, Feb 22:
- 10–11:30 a.m. (200 people)
The application period extends from January 5 to 21, 2026. If applications exceed capacity, a lottery will be held, with results announced from January 26.
How to get there
The event takes place in Ojiya, Niigata Prefecture. From Tokyo, take the Joetsu Shinkansen to Nagaoka Station, then transfer to the JR Joetsu Line for Ojiya Station (around 2 hours and 15 minutes). The entire journey is covered by the JR East Pass (Nagano, Niigata area).
There will be shuttles plying from the station to the venues.
Organizers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.
