An autumn festival where music and fireworks come together over Dokai Bay
Kukinoumi Fireworks Festival
Festival information
EVENT INFORMATION- Dates
- 2026/10/24Scheduled
- Season / frequency
- Oct / Every year
- Location
- Dokai Bay (around Wakato Bridge)
- Area
- Fukuoka Prefecture・Kitakyushu City(From Tokyo: approx. 1 h 50 min–2 h 10 min · flight time only)Prefecture-level estimate to a main station or airport, not the venue. Airport access, check-in and onward travel are extra; remote areas and islands can take much longer.
- Features
- Highlights and activities
- Participation / viewing
- Open to public participation / spectators welcome
- Participation fee
- In the Kuki-no-hama contribution area, S seats are ¥6,000 and A seats are ¥4,000; in the Tobata-side contribution area, S seats are ¥6,000. The fireworks-making experience costs ¥50,000, and the contribution for the tour of the inside of the Waka-to Bridge costs ¥10,000.
- Age restrictions
- The fireworks-making experience is for people aged 18 and over. The tour of the inside of the Waka-to Bridge is for elementary school students and older. Anyone aged 18 or under must be accompanied by at least 1 person aged 19 or over.
- Required number of participants
- The tour of the inside of the Waka-to Bridge is for 4 groups of 10 people each.
- Last updated
- 2026/10/21
This Kitakyushu festival features fireworks set to music over Dokai Bay, around Wakato Bridge, which connects Wakamatsu and Tobata wards. In 2026, 4,500 fireworks will light up the autumn night sky.
About Kukinoumi Fireworks Festival
Kukinoumi Fireworks Festival is a fireworks event held over Dokai Bay in Kitakyushu.
Set around Wakato Bridge, between Wakamatsu and Tobata wards, the event features fireworks launched from barges floating in the bay.
The display combines regular fireworks with musical fireworks and specially selected fireworks, lighting up the area around Dokai Bay.
Source: くきのうみ花火の祭典 - 北九州市
Festival highlights
The highlight is 4,500 fireworks launched from barges on Dokai Bay.
The program includes musical fireworks set to jazz recordings and specially selected fireworks created by pyrotechnicians from across Japan.
There will be no Niagara-style fireworks from Wakato Bridge in 2026, but visitors can enjoy the combination of fireworks over the bay and music.
An autumn festival where music and fireworks come together over Dokai Bay
What to expect
From 7 p.m. to 7:40 p.m. on the day, aerial fireworks and starmines will be launched from barges moored in Dokai Bay.
The program features fireworks set to music, sponsor introductions and promotional fireworks, followed by specially selected fireworks created by pyrotechnicians.
In the sponsor area, you can watch from unreserved seats on folding chairs, and activities such as a fireworks-making experience are also available.
Source: くきのうみ花火の祭典 個人向け協賛メニュー - 北九州市
How to take part
In 2026, you can watch the fireworks. In the individual-contribution areas in the Kuki-no-hama and Tobata areas, admission tickets purchased with a contribution let you enjoy the fireworks up close.
During the fireworks-making experience, you can watch your handmade fireworks from the invited guests' seating area.
The contribution for the tour of the inside of the Waka-to Bridge combines a tour inside the bridge with an invitation ticket to the fireworks festival.
Admission tickets for the contribution areas can be purchased on the Ticket Pia website or at a multi-copy machine inside any 7-Eleven store in Japan.
The 2026 application period runs from June 15 to October 21, and applications close when each contribution category reaches capacity.
To join the fireworks-making experience or the tour behind the scenes of the Wakato Bridge, apply by phone to the executive committee office and transfer the sponsorship contribution.
Location and access
- Venue and address
Dokai Bay and the area around the Wakato Bridge
- Train and bus
3-minute walk from Wakamatsu Station on the JR Chikuho Main Line / 5-minute walk from Tobata Station on the JR Kagoshima Main Line
- By car
Please do not come by private car.
- Parking
None
Address Dokai Bay and the area around the Wakato Bridge
Dates and season
The event is scheduled for October 24, 2026 (Saturday), from 7 p.m. to 7:40 p.m.
The event will be canceled in severe weather, with no postponement.
Cancellations will be announced by 1 p.m. on the day.
Accommodation and hotels PR
Showing nearby accommodation.
Prices and availability are current at the time of retrieval. For multi-night stays, only the first night’s price is shown. Confirm the final price and directions to the venue with the booking provider. Select your dates again when using the area search link. Search area: within 3 km of Central Fukuoka Prefecture / Kitakyushu City (the search is not centered on the festival venue)
Tips for your visit
There is no parking at the venue. Please do not come by private car.
In 2026, traffic restrictions will be in place around the fireworks venue on the Wakamatsu side from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Restrictions will also apply at different times on the Takato-yama hiking trail and elsewhere.
Under the Aviation Act, flying drones and other devices over the fireworks venue is prohibited.
The event will be canceled in severe weather, with no postponement.
Nearby attractions
Nearby attractions include Wakato Bridge, the Wakato Ferry, the Dokai Bay factory nightscape, and Takayama Park.
Wakamatsu Ebisu Shrine, the Ashihei Hino Memorial Museum, and the Wakachiku Historical Museum are also listed as nearby spots.
When visiting the fireworks venue and these facilities, it’s a good idea to check their opening hours and conditions of use as you plan your itinerary.
Source: くきのうみ花火の祭典 | イベント | 【公式】福岡県の観光/旅行情報サイト「クロスロードふくおか」
九州鉄道記念館
北九州市にある鉄道博物館
北九州市立いのちのたび博物館
北九州市八幡東区にある博物館
北九州市立松本清張記念館
日本の文学館
北九州市立美術館
北九州市にある美術館
Mekari Shrine
北九州市門司区にある神社
小倉城
福岡県北九州市小倉北区にあった城
写真：No machine-readable author provided. Historian~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY 2.5
Photo source ·
河内藤園
福岡県の公園・庭園のスポットです。
Origins and History of Kukinoumi Fireworks Festival
The festival began in 1986 and was held in July for many years.
The City of Kitakyushu explains that, in view of the risk of heatstroke among visitors during the increasingly hot summers in recent years, the festival dates were moved to October starting in fiscal 2025.
The venue is around Dokai Bay and Wakato Bridge, between Wakamatsu and Tobata wards, and the event continues to bring energy to the local community.
Source: くきのうみ花火の祭典 - Wikipedia / くきのうみ花火の祭典 - 北九州市
Official information
The City of Kitakyushu’s official Kukinoumi Fireworks Festival page provides information on the 2026 event date and time, venue, fireworks program, transportation, and traffic restrictions.
For inquiries, contact the Kukinoumi Fireworks Festival Executive Committee Secretariat.
Kukinoumi Fireworks Festival at a Glance
Kukinoumi Fireworks Festival is a fireworks event held around Dokai Bay and Wakato Bridge in Kitakyushu.
On October 24 (Sat) in 2026, 4,500 fireworks will be launched, with musical fireworks and specially selected fireworks also planned.
There is no parking at the venue, so visitors are generally advised to use public transportation and walk from Wakamatsu or Tobata Station.
Japanese Festivals.jp Editorial Team
Celebrating local culture and helping you discover a side of Japan you never knew.
Article updated: 2026/10/21
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