Fuji Rock Festival Kicks Off This Week! Cross-Strait Collaboration as Taiwan Band 'A_Root' Lands at Naeba

The Fuji Rock Festival Japan is set to open grandly this week at Naeba in Niigata Prefecture. The organizers are releasing final lineup updates and the latest event information. This year’s festival is intensifying two-way musical exchange with Taiwan, collaborating not only with Taipei’s 'TAIPEI MUSIC EXPO' (TMEX) and 'JAM JAM ASIA 2026' but also launching a cross-border partnership with 'ROCK IN TAICHUNG' to extend the musical energy from Naeba all the way to Taiwan.

Japanese band 'TV Continent Ondo', which stood out on the rookie stage 'ROOKIE A GO-GO' last year, is confirmed to perform on the Red Marquee on July 24. They will also travel to Taipei to participate in the large-scale international music festival 'TMEX JAM JAM ASIA 2026'.

Additionally, 'ROCK IN TAICHUNG', scheduled for October 31 to November 1, will once again collaborate with Fuji Rock Festival this year, recreating the 'ROOKIE A GO-GO' stage in Taiwan on October 31. Japanese emerging bands 'yubiori' and 'Hashirikomies', who performed on the same stage at Naeba last year, have both confirmed their participation in the Taichung event. On the Taiwan side, the Hakka rock band 'A_Root', known for its strong local cultural identity and nominated for Taiwan's Golden Melody Award for Best Band, will represent 'ROCK IN TAICHUNG' by performing on the 'ROOKIE A GO-GO' stage at Fuji Rock on July 25, showcasing Taiwan’s unique musical talent to the world.

Regarding the latest lineup changes and highlights, the organizers announced that British band 'SORRY', originally scheduled to perform on the Red Marquee on July 24, has regrettably canceled due to personal reasons. The slot will now be filled by Japanese four-piece rock band 'a flood of circle', known for blending blues and garage rock with explosive live energy. The closing performance for this year’s festival has also been revealed: a special project initiated by founder Masahiro Hidaka, the '1950's Western Caravan Orchestra', led by Kazuhiko Toyama with a limited-time big band of top Japanese musicians and multiple heavyweight guest vocalists, delivering an epic live experience exclusive to Fuji Rock.

For global fans unable to attend in person, the organizers are once again partnering with Amazon to offer free live streaming of select performances from the four main stages and artist interviews via the Amazon Music app, Prime Video, and the Amazon Music official channel on Twitch. Streaming is free for all Amazon account holders, no Prime membership required. Amazon’s dedicated page is also selling nine exclusive co-branded official T-shirts. On television, Fuji TV NEXT will air a 15-hour in-depth special on the four main stages in September. Additionally, the official radio station will broadcast live from an on-site studio, delivering real-time updates and post-event special programs.

In terms of on-site planning and environmental initiatives, the organizers continue promoting the 'living with the forest' concept by opening the 'NGO Village' at AVALON Plaza. This year, 14 'Future Choice' projects are being launched, including the audience-participatory 'Song for PEACE' stage and 'Ukulele for PEACE', where attendees can experience ukuleles made from thinned forest wood, promoting recycling and green energy. The festival is also recruiting 'Fuji Rock Friendly Guide' volunteers to provide free interpretation and assistance for international attendees. A spectator etiquette guide has been published, and outdoor family-friendly activities like 'PLAY! FUJI ROCK!' are available. The rookie stage features a special 'Step Up to the Main Stage' initiative, where fans at Naeba can vote for this year’s 16 emerging bands, with the top-voted act earning a main stage performance slot next year.

With the festival entering its final week, organizers announced that nearly all on-site stores will adopt cashless electronic payments for a more convenient and secure shopping experience, though cash payments will still be accepted. Some mobile payments may take longer due to network signal limitations. The full lineup of official on-site merchandise has been officially released on a dedicated website. Regarding ticket sales, the three-day pass and the single-day ticket for July 25 are completely sold out, and no same-day tickets will be available at the venue.