ARABAKI ROCK FEST.

ARABAKI ROCK FEST. (known by its kanji nickname 荒吐, after a Tohoku folk deity) is northern Japan's biggest rock festival, held every Golden Week weekend at a campground in the mountains of Miyagi Prefecture. It's a two-day, multi-stage outdoor event that mixes national headline rock acts with regional folk performers (Tsugaru shamisen, Akita min'yo) and a dedicated "Michinoku Peace Session" collaboration stage — it's rowdier and muddier than Tokyo-area festivals, and proudly so.

The 2026 edition (April 25-26) — its most recently held run — featured roughly 160+ acts, including [Alexandros], ELLEGARDEN, 10-FEET, Aimyon, Yuri, Akiyama Kiiro, and a "GTR祭'26" guest-collaboration stage marking ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION's 30th anniversary. This is the confirmed bill for the edition just held; next year's lineup has not been announced.

1. Use the official overseas ticket channel. The ticket page has a dedicated overseas-ticket section linking to eplus.tickets/arf, eplus's English-language international storefront.
2. Or buy through Japanese platforms — Lawson Ticket, Ticket Pia, e-plus, or in person at Ganban record store in Shibuya Parco — if you're comfortable navigating Japanese sites.
3. General sale opens in early March (first-come, first-served); presale waves for fan-club members and Lawson/7-Eleven start as early as December, so the general sale is genuinely the last-chance tier.
4. Book your parking or shuttle ticket at the same time as your festival ticket — there is no day-of shuttle or parking sales, and the shuttle requires you to pick an outbound time slot in advance.
5. Tickets are e-tickets shown at the gate from your phone; no Japan mailing address needed for the overseas channel.

Route: The venue, Eco Camp Michinoku, sits in the mountains of Kawasaki, Miyagi, about 40-60 minutes by car or shuttle from Sendai Station. There's no train to the venue — you need either your own car (nearest expressway exit: Miyagi-Kawasaki IC, ~5 min) or the official shuttle bus from Sendai Station's east exit.

Last train: Not applicable at the venue itself — but plan your last Shinkansen/flight out of Sendai around the shuttle's return window (3:00pm-10:30pm), and don't cut it close, since the shuttle takes 40-60 minutes plus a queue.

Staying: Camping is part of the culture here — the Wind Plains campsite (¥3,000, or bundled with a 2-day pass for ¥28,000) is the easiest option; cottages are also available by bid. If you'd rather not camp, base yourself in Sendai and commute via the shuttle.

Bring: Rain gear and warm layers (Tohoku in late April can still be cold and wet at altitude), cash, and a fully charged phone for the e-ticket QR code — signal can be patchy in the mountains.