The observant viewer may already have noticed that there are quite a few interesting events and tours on the horizon for Japanese music fans in Europe. It seems there are so many that it can sometimes be difficult to see the wood for the trees when it comes to upcoming tours and Japanese music events. The festival season kicked off last month and will continue in full swing throughout July, with many interesting events and festivals.
Below, we have compiled as comprehensive an overview as possible of all Japanese music events in Europe.
On tour in July 2026
The Osaka-based loud rock band Iscream Never Ground will be travelling to Europe for the second time this summer, but this time for a full-scale tour featuring performances at Resurrection Fest, Japan Tours Festival, Animesse Babelsberg and Haltpop.
The four-piece brass band from Osaka, MOS, will perform nine shows in Germany and Italy. It will be the first European tour for the Japanese band. More information in this article.
This month, mpi, Diana Garnet and Kota Shinzato, three anisong singers, will be coming to Germany for several performances as part of Summer of Japanese Music 2026, organised by the German online radio station AnimeRadio.de.
Sex Virgin Killer and vocalist Lilii Mar have some interesting plans in Europe this month. First of all, the darkwave band Sex Virgin Killer will play four gigs in Finland, whilst Lilii Mar will be performing in Germany and France in between. Everything is neatly summarised in their recent Instagram post, so be sure to check that out and have a listen to Sex Virgin Killer’s latest album Angel.
Singer-songwriter Upiko will be returning to Europe as part of her Upirise tour. The European leg of the tour will start with a visit to Japan Expo in France on the 9th of July. More information can be found in our article.
Power metal band LOVEBITES will return for another European tour, during which they will perform in Austria, Hungary, Poland and Czechia for the first time. Recently they added an extra show in Munich to their schedule.
Seppuku Pistols, known for their energetic performances that blend the spirit of punk with traditional Japanese instruments, are returning to Europe for a tour this month. They will perform in Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and France.
In addition to the performance at B7KLAN J-Rock Festival (see more below), visual kei rock band MUCC will perform two more European shows in July, in Germany and Finland.
Blackgaze hardcore band kokeshi will tour Europe for the first time, it started with the announcement of a show in Italy and they were able to add a couple more dates and turn it into a European tour. The four-piece will perform in Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, and France. More information can be found in this article.
Four-piece cheer punk band Ni-hao!!!! will tour Europe in July and will perform at Valkhof Festival and Rapid Openair Festival, but the tour mostly consists of club shows. In total, the European tour consists of 12 shows in six countries. All the information about the upcoming tour can be found here.
On the second to last day of July, the four-piece pop punk band MIKABOMB will kick off their UK tour, with a performance in Brighton and London, then they will be performing at Mosely Punk Festival in Birmingham, continuing their tour with shows in Nottingham, Bradford and concluding in Blackpool. If all goes well, we will be publishing an interview with MIKABOMB very soon.
Still on tour in July 2026
BABYMETAL‘s last show of their current European tour will end tonight in Istanbul. The trio toured through Europe in June, with mostly festival performances, such as Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park, Rock For People, Download Festival, Graspop Metal Meeting, and Copenhell.
Indie rock band DYGL are currently finishing their last two shows of their current European tour. It has been a while that the quartet performed in Europe, so if you are in the neighbourhood of Furth or Berlin, you might want to check them out.
The experimental progressive rock band Green Milk From The Planet Orange just kicked off their extensive European tour last month. The tour consists of 35 shows across 12 countries. They were in Europe earlier this year as well, seems like they love to tour on this continent.
Violent Magic Orchestra are no strangers to the scene and are currently in the midst of an extensive European tour as part of their Nostarzia Never Come Back world tour. They kicked things off in the UK on 9 June; this month they’ll be appearing at the Valkhof Festival and Dour Festival, and in August they have even more exciting festivals lined up, including Complexity Fest and Lowlands, as well as Brutal Assault. They are still on the lookout for some extra last-minute shows, so keep an eye on their social media for more information.
Japanese music events
When it comes to Japan-related events, July is always a great month. First up are the well-known Japan Expo Paris and HYPER JAPAN festivals, featuring an impressive line-up of Japanese musicians set to perform.
The Belgian convention Atsusacon, which takes place on 4 and 5 July under the theme Spies and Assassins, has invited visual kei musician Sana Takizawa to perform. It will be his 300th performance outside Japan at Atsusacon, which is to be held in Antwerp this year.
You can always expect the organisers of Japan Expo Paris to put on a spectacular programme, but this year is particularly special as the event is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Yoshiki will once again be appearing at the event for a special concert, whilst Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is also set to perform on the final day of Japan Expo in Paris. But that’s not all, as Sho Kiryuin from GOLDEN BOMBER has a performance lined up, alongside idol groups ≠ME (NOT EQUAL ME), Mercuro and Afters, as they will be giving a number of showcases, Upiko will be kicking off her first European tour here, The Sixth Lie are returning to Europe with performances at Japan Expo Paris (and HYPER JAPAN), and the list goes on and on and on. Check it out here.
During HYPER JAPAN, the line-up features an intriguing mix of big names and lesser-known acts, ensuring there’s something for everyone. With names such as Queen Bee, avantgardy, Upiko and Eir Aoi, it’s clear the organisers wanted to pull out all the stops. In addition, exciting acts such as Re:O, The Sixth Lie and JERO11 will take to the stage at HYPER JAPAN 2026. This is certainly not all, and HYPER JAPAN has kindly shared a timetable for the stage programme.
An event that was announced with great fanfare at the end of last year is finally set to take place this month, during Japan Expo Paris: B7KLAN J-Rock Fest. A two-day music event with a line-up that has set the hearts of many visual kei fans racing. And that’s hardly surprising, because with names such as Versailles, Moi dix Mois, MUCC, D’espairsray, LM.C, An Cafe, Kizu, Jiluka, Azavana and Musyozoku, there’s something for everyone. The line-up is rounded off by DJ SiSeN and two European bands, SOU[f]FRE and Imperial Age, who will be opening the festival. More information can be found here.
Have you seen an announcement that hasn’t been featured on the website yet? Send us a message. If you’re an event organiser, feel free to send us a press release. All the contact information can be found on this page. Want to contribute to AVO Magazine, we are currently looking for writers and translators.
