Sapporo Snow Festival 2027 Dates: Feb 4–11, 3 Sites (Odori, Susukino, Tsudome), Access and Parking

The 77th Sapporo Snow Festival in 2027 runs for eight days, from Thursday, February 4 to Thursday, February 11 (a national holiday). It is held at three sites: Odori, Susukino and Tsudome. Odori centers on five large snow sculptures, Susukino on ice sculptures, and Tsudome on snow play (Official news (dated July 13, 2026), checked 2026-10-05).

If you plan to drive, here is the key point first. The official site states clearly for the Tsudome site: “There is no general parking (and no stopping area for drop-off either).” The official pages for the Odori and Susukino sites do not mention parking at all (checked 2026-10-05). The working assumption is that you leave your campervan at an RV park outside the city center and travel to the sites by subway and shuttle bus.

The official site says detailed 2027 information, such as opening hours and shuttle buses, will be “updated from mid-December 2026.” This article is based on official information as of 2026-10-05, and items not yet confirmed are marked as results from the previous festival (2026).

When Is the Sapporo Snow Festival 2027? Eight Days, Feb 4 (Thu) to Feb 11 (Thu, holiday)

The festival runs for eight days, from Thursday, February 4 to Thursday, February 11 (a national holiday), 2027, under the official name “2027 Sapporo Snow Festival (77th)” (Official news (dated July 13, 2026), checked 2026-10-05). The 11th is a national holiday, and the period includes the weekend of Saturday, February 6 and Sunday, February 7.

From the day after the Snow Festival ends, a special partner event, “Sapporo Snow Sports Park 2027,” is held at the Daiwa House Premist Dome site for three days, from Friday, February 12 to Sunday, February 14 (same source, checked 2026-10-05). Its dates are separate from the Snow Festival itself.

Where Are the Three Sites? What You Can See at Odori, Susukino and Tsudome

Site	Location	2027 content (official announcement)	Nearest station
Odori Site	Odori Park, West 1-chome to West 11-chome	Centered on five large snow sculptures, plus small and medium snow sculptures and winter attractions	Odori Station (subway)
Susukino Site	Ekimae-dori, from Minami 4-jo-dori to Minami 6-jo-dori	Ice sculptures (60 last time) and works from the ice sculpture contest	Susukino Station (subway)
Tsudome Site	Sapporo Sports Exchange Facility “Tsudome” (885-1 Sakaemachi, Higashi Ward)	Mainly snow play (last time: tube slider, snow raft and indoor attractions)	15-minute walk from Sakaemachi Station on the Toho Line, shuttle bus available

Each Block of Odori Park Has Something Different

According to the official outline, blocks 4, 5, 7, 8 and 10 hold large snow sculptures, block 1 has winter attractions, block 2 hosts the “Sapporo International Art Festival 2027,” block 3 has small snow sculptures, blocks 6 and 9 have medium and small sculptures and more, and block 11 hosts the International Snow Sculpture Contest (Official news (dated July 13, 2026), checked 2026-10-05). The themes of the individual large snow sculptures will have to wait for the official site’s update (planned for mid-December 2026).

Susukino Is Ice Sculptures, Tsudome Is Snow Play

The official Susukino Site page describes the previous festival’s content: 60 ice sculptures, a “fish-in-ice sculpture,” and an exhibition of ice sculpture contest works (Susukino Site, checked 2026-10-05). At the Tsudome Site, last time’s highlights were the tube slider, the snow raft, a giant indoor slide and food booths (Tsudome Site, checked 2026-10-05). A simple way to split them: Tsudome for snow play with children, Odori and Susukino for night scenery.

What Are the Opening and Illumination Hours? The 2027 Hours Will Be Updated Officially in Mid-December

As of 2026-10-05, no confirmed hours for 2027 have been published. The official Odori Site page says “Illumination until 22:00,” but the same page also says “The information below is for the 2026 festival. Information for the 2027 festival will be updated from mid-December 2026” (Odori Site, checked 2026-10-05).

Site	Previous festival (February 2026)	Source
Odori Site	Illumination until 22:00 (the same wording appears for the 2027 period)	Odori Site
Susukino Site	Illumination until 23:00, until 22:00 on the final day. Pedestrian zone: 15:00–23:00 on 2/4–6, 9 and 10; 10:00–23:00 on 2/7–8; 10:00–22:00 on 2/11	Susukino Site
Tsudome Site	10:00–16:00. When crowded, admission to some attractions closes early	Tsudome Site

The hours differ completely between a day for seeing Odori and Susukino at night and a day for playing in the snow at Tsudome in the daytime. If you want to see all three sites in one day, the least strained order is to finish Tsudome during the day and return to the city center in the evening.

How Do You Get to the Sites? Subway and Shuttle Bus Are the Basics

Odori Station is the nearest stop for Odori, and Susukino Station for Susukino. Both are within walking distance of city-center stations. Only Tsudome requires either a 15-minute walk from Sakaemachi Station on the Toho Line or the shuttle bus from Sakaemachi Station (Tsudome Site, checked 2026-10-05). The official access page shows a Google Map for each of the three sites (Access, checked 2026-10-05).

At the previous festival (the 76th, February 4–11, 2026), the shuttle bus linked Sakaemachi Station and the Tsudome site with the cooperation of Hokkaido Chuo Bus. A one-way fare was ¥200 for adults (cash only). It was free for elementary school students and younger, people aged 65 and over, and people with disabilities. Buses left Sakaemachi Station from 9:40 to 14:30 and left the Tsudome site from 12:00 to 16:20, every 5 to 10 minutes. The stop was in front of Exit 2 of Sakaemachi Station on 2/4–6, 9 and 10, and in front of Exit 1 on 2/7, 8 and 11 (Official news, checked 2026-10-05). The 2027 operating conditions have not been announced, so use these results as a guide and check the official site just before the festival.

The same official news says that transfers between the subway and the shuttle bus are not allowed (the subway and the bus are not treated as a connecting trip), and that taxis can enter the area.

Is There Parking at the Odori and Susukino Sites? The Official Site Says Nothing

We checked the official pages for the Odori Site and the Susukino Site, and they do not mention parking at all (checked 2026-10-05). They say neither “prohibited” nor “available,” so the accurate summary is that the topic is simply not addressed.

It is premature to read the absence of a mention as “you can park.” The Odori-to-Susukino area is the most densely built-up part of Sapporo, and most parking there is multi-story or mechanical. Entrances have height limits, and it is not unusual for even a Hiace-based Vancon, let alone a Cabcon, to be turned away. Surface coin parking lots are generally sized for ordinary cars, and during the Snow Festival, snow reduces the number of usable spaces.

Can You Drive to the Tsudome Site? “There Is No General Parking”

The official Tsudome Site page is explicit. “There is no general parking (and no stopping area for drop-off either), so please use public transportation or the shuttle bus” (Tsudome Site, checked 2026-10-05). A plan to arrive by campervan does not work from the start.

The only exception is the parking for people with disabilities, with 7 spaces. The page says: “To use the parking for people with disabilities (7 spaces), you must present the original of a Physical Disability Certificate. The Rehabilitation Certificate and the Mental Disability Health and Welfare Certificate are not accepted.” and “Parking cannot be reserved in advance.” (same source, checked 2026-10-05). With so few spaces and no reservations, even eligible visitors have no guarantee of a space.

The shuttle bus guidance also says “Please refrain from parking at nearby commercial facilities” and “Dropping off or picking up passengers by car around the site is dangerous, so please refrain” (Official news, for the 2026 festival, checked 2026-10-05).

Where Do You Park and Stay in a Campervan? Commute by Subway from an RV Park Outside the Center

With no parking at all three sites, or no mention of it, there is only one way to build the plan. Leave the vehicle at an RV park outside the center and travel to the sites by public transport. Sapporo city has three RV parks: one in Teine Ward and two in Minami Ward (checked 2026-08-04). Rates, power and booking methods are summarized in the Sapporo RV park list.

If the three parks in the city are full, five nearby facilities in Ishikari, Ebetsu, Eniwa, Naganuma and Chitose can take the overflow (confirmed in the same article). If you want a list of places where you can actually stay in winter, the article checking 13 RV parks and Michi-no-Eki where you can overnight park in winter will help. The festival is short at eight days, and places to stay fill up quickly on days that include a weekend, so once you decide which day to go, book your stay before anything else.

To see all three sites in one day, the efficient order is to take the subway to Odori and Susukino, then go on to Tsudome from Sakaemachi Station.

What to Wear in Sapporo in Winter and How to Avoid Slipping on Snow: Boots, a Hat and Gloves Are a Must

The official “Sapporo Winter Weather and Clothing” page puts the coldest period in January and February. Buildings are well heated, so clothes you can put on and take off are recommended, and outdoors it is a severe, below-freezing winter (Sapporo Winter Weather and Clothing, checked 2026-10-05).

On preventing falls, the official page on avoiding slips on snowy roads is specific. On frozen surfaces: walk on areas where anti-slip sand has been spread, use a walking pole or cane, wear winter shoes, and attach anti-slip grips to the soles of your shoes (said to be sold at convenience stores and at the official shop at the Odori site). It also says to wear a hat and gloves so you are less likely to be hurt if you fall, and to take care at crosswalks and at the edges of road-heating areas, where there are steps and it is easy to fall (checked 2026-10-05). The same page has a notice that “items are available for loan,” so check the details with the official site before you leave.

At the Tsudome site, a hat and gloves are required to use each attraction, and the grounds are described as “very slippery” (Tsudome Site, 2026 festival content, checked 2026-10-05).

• Waterproof, non-slip winter boots (you can add grips to the soles)
• A hat and gloves (required for the Tsudome attractions)
• Easy-to-remove layers (warm indoors, below freezing outdoors)
• Thicker gloves if you use a walking pole or cane
• Walk the route from the RV park to the station in daylight to check it

A Festival in Midwinter: What to Watch For When Driving a Campervan

In early February, packed snow and ice-covered roads are an everyday sight in Sapporo. A tall, heavy campervan is affected more than an ordinary car by braking distance on frozen roads and by crosswinds. A plan that leaves travel around the sites to the subway and shuttle bus answers the parking problem, and it also answers the question of how to avoid driving on snowy roads at night. Check in at the RV park while it is still light, and plan not to move the vehicle after sunset.

For winter questions such as how to think about studless tires, how to use an FF heater, and how to prevent water systems from freezing, see the guide to easing worries about winter campervan trips in Hokkaido. If it is your first time on winter roads, reading it before you leave will keep you from panicking on the day.

Can You Combine It With the Sapporo White Illumination and Other Winter Events in the Same Week?

The Snow Festival period usually overlaps with the Sapporo White Illumination period. In the most recent season, the illumination at the Odori site ended on December 25, but Ekimae-dori, Minami 1-jo-dori, Aka-pla and the south exit of Sapporo Station stayed lit from mid-February to mid-March (checked 2026-08-24). On a day when you visit Odori and Susukino for the Snow Festival, you may be able to see the surrounding illuminations after dusk as well. For parking conditions at each site and the lighting periods, see the article on the Sapporo White Illumination and campervans, and check the official site before you leave for the 2027 lighting period.

Many winter events in Hokkaido overlap around February 6. To line up the dates and plan your schedule, open the calendar of 14 Hokkaido winter events and their dates. If you are timing your trip to the Lunar New Year (Spring Festival) holiday, open the Hokkaido campervan Lunar New Year travel guide.

If You Rent a Campervan to Go

If you are flying in from outside Hokkaido, it is easy to plan a route that starts with picking up a vehicle at New Chitose Airport and beginning your trip right away. During the Snow Festival, some rental companies suspend winter rentals, and even those that do rent out differ from company to company in studless tires and cold-weather equipment. Before booking, check “whether winter rental is available” and “what equipment is included.” Companies where you can rent in Sapporo city or around New Chitose Airport are summarized in the comparison of 13 bases where you can rent a campervan in Sapporo.

Pages to Read Next

• Sapporo RV park list: only three in the city. Rates, hot springs and booking methods all checked
• 43 things you can only do in winter in Hokkaido, and where you can stay nearby
• A Hokkaido winter trip that goes beyond the Sapporo Snow Festival, by campervan
• Hokkaido campervan winter travel guide: drift ice, snow festivals and cold-weather preparation
• 14 Hokkaido winter events on a map and a dated calendar