This year’s Fuji Rock Festival was held from July 28th to July 30th and brought in a record high 125,000 music lovers who gathered outdoors on the grass to get away and enjoy an extraordinary day of music.
With gleaming smiles on their faces, everybody stood in front of the main stage of Fuji Rock Festival ’17 with their hearts beating.
The even of Fuji Rock is much-loved part of the festival’s experience for fans and something they have adored for many years.
A big yoga session was happening in the early hours of the day close by the tent site to relax people’s heart and body before enjoying the festival.
Countless Fuji rockers were gathered from the very first day of the festival in front of the biggest stage, the “Green Stage.” You could hear people having fun at each of the festival’s stages.
“Vast” is the word to describe the panorama of the Green Stage.
It’s also common to see people taking some time out to rest by the riverside during intervals between performances.
There was heavy rainfall at this year’s Fuji Rock as seen in photos where streaks of rain are visible. Even so, the Fuji rockers were having fun playing in the mud puddles caused by the downpour. It’s an important reminder that you should enjoy both music and nature together.
Welcome to The Palace Of Wonder stage.
Fuji Rock raises the bar every year. The Palace Of Wonder stage captures the true charm of the festival, with people captivated by all of the performances that unfolded in this fantastical area.
The Green Stage at nighttime, where people’s faces can be seen glowing from the lights, has a much different feel to it than during the day, and it showed on their faces that they were having the best time.
Aphex Twin put on a show with lasers which when coupled with the continuous rainfall created what looked like dotted lights. People were pulled into an overwhelming world and performance.
Pumped and excited artists left an impression on people over at the Red Marquee stage which was decorated with ceiling illuminations.
People danced their way into the night, never stopping once even when the sky was becoming light again.
Things has quietened down by 5am. But that changed when Denki Groove surprised everyone by coming on stage to bring the party to its climax once more, signalling dawn.
Afterwards, the Fuji rockers then made their way to the Dragondola, Japan’s longest gondola lift, to ride up the mountain summit area.
They were greeted by Licaxxx at the apex who was ready to begin the morning rave.
The Fuji Rock mountain summit area is called “Day Dreaming and Silent Breeze.”
The boardwalk was also packed with people.
People set up location in the bower and to had fun in whatever way they liked.
At the White Stage was the famous sight of all the people bunched together, something which has even brought in crowd control.
At another part of the festival, Emerson Kitamura was entertaining the crowd on the Yaeba Shokudou stage, a more chill and at-home environment.
Björk headlined the final day of Fuji Rock 2017. The Green Stage was dyed in the world and vision of Björk had the entire audience entranced under her spell.
MAJOR LAZER headlined the White Stage where the party people gathered to dance once more.
The Fuji rockers hesitatingly began making their way back home, awaking from the dream of the 3 days they have just experienced.
Let’s get together at this exciting place again next year too! Thank you, Fuji Rock! See you again, Yaeba!
RELATED ENTRIES
-
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Performs at Fuji Rock for the First Time, Original DJ Mix by Yasutaka Nakata Wows Audience
On July 30, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu took the outdoor stage at FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL ‘23 at Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata.
This marks the first time that the artist has performed at the legendary Japanese music festival. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu has completed five world tours in the past, also performing at Coachella in the U.S. in 2022 and at Primavera Sound in Spain this June. The artist was the first performer during the Sunday Session on July 30, the final night of the festival.
The Red Marquee housed the Sunday Session performances, and the venue was nearly overflowing with excited fans. As the audience began to chant Kyary’s name before she appeared on stage, a DJ wearing a rabbit mask appeared as DE.BA.YA.SHI 2021 began to play. The crowd’s chant only increased in intensity, and soon after, Kyary appeared wearing the famed pink outfit from her world tour held earlier this year.
Immediately after, the popular singer performed Candy Racer and Dodonpa from her newest album, with the festival-like anthem Harajuku Iyahoi quickly following in a nonstop DJ mix. The crowd’s excitement reached a fever pitch, and fans began chanting along with the familiar tracks. Isshin Doutai, Perfect Oneisan, and Kyary’s debut track PON PON PON quickly followed.
The sense of unity in the venue was amplified as the singer’s first song rang out, and when the intro to Ninja Re Bang Bang entered the mix, the crowd erupted in a thunderous cheer. Kyary continued with CANDY CANDY, Tsukematsukuru, and Mottai Night Land, with the excitement continuing unabated until the MC.
“Thank you so much for coming to my first performance at Fuji Rock! I’d love to do it again,” the singer said emotionally. “The next song will be my last! It’s the most ‘rock’ of all of my songs, so would you mind getting pumped up with me?” Fashion Monster marked the finale of Kyary’s first Fuji Rock performance, and the event at the packed Red Marquee concluded with huge success.
The original nonstop DJ mix for the event was created by Yasutaka Nakata. The crowd was shocked by Kyary’s ‘cool’ persona during her performance, her on-stage aura no doubt honed by her time spent overseas. After the show was over, social media was immediately filled with praise for the performance.
Kyary will be performing at several other music festivals around Japan this summer, so keep an eye out!
Photo：Ruriko Inagaki
[Setlist]
- DE.BA.YA.SHI. 2021
- Candy Racer
- Dodonpa
- Harajuku Iyahoi
- Isshin Doutai
- Perfect Oneisan
- PON PON PON
- Ninja Re Bang Bang
- CANDY CANDY
- Tsukematsukeru
- Mottai Night Land
- Fashion Monster
Information
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Festival Performance Information
8/11 – FUELFEST JAPAN 2023 (Shizuoka)
8/12 – ROCK IN JAPAN FES. 2023 (Chiba)
9/17 – KOYABU SONIC 2023 (Osaka)
10/1 – ASO ROCK FESTIVAL. FIRE 2023 (Kumamoto)
10/7 – NAGAOKA COME HYAPPYOU FES 2023 (Niigata)
-
On July 29, English DJ and producer Jonas Blue took the stage at Day 1 of Fuji Rock Festival ‘22. The popular boy band BE:FIRST, created during THE FIRST boy band audition by rapper SKY-HI, joined the performance! In July, Blue released the track Don’t Wake Me Up feat BE:FIRST, and this was the first time that the song was performed live.
Lyric Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_Nnj6A0THo
Don’t Wake Me Up feat. BE:FIRST was the fourth song on the performer’s setlist. Blue told the audience that a special guest would be coming to the stage, and fans in the audience were thrilled to see all seven members showing off their dance moves live. Blue also performed many of his hit songs such as Mama, Polaroid, and Rise. The artist proved to be so popular with Japanese audiences that he was trending in the #1 spot on Twitter in Japan.
Jonas Blue also made a shocking surprise announcement. Immediately following Fuji Rock Festival ‘22, the artist will be embarking on a Japan tour! The artist will perform five shows across Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Fukuoka.
BE:FIRST recently released the song Scream, the lead track for the group’s upcoming album BE:1 scheduled to release on August 31.
Information
Don’t Wake Me Up feat. BE:FIRST
Streaming Links: https://umj.lnk.to/JonasBlue_BEFIRST_DWMU
-
It’s finally here! Summer’s biggest event: FUJI ROCK.
2016 is a special year for the annual festival as it marks its 20th year run. FUJI ROCK hosts a gargantuan line-up of incredible artists who are leading the music industry today, as well as rarer artists who boast immense popularity that continues to elevate – all of this in one place. Have you already checked out who will be attending this year? Great music that makes you feel good – check. A huge location that has you overflowing in a feeling of freedom to enjoy – check. Whether with your friends, your lover, your family or your colleagues – no, even by yourself – the FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL will be enjoyable without fail. Those feelings are synonymous with the name “FUJI ROCK”.
Ask any Japanese person about a festival and it’s likely that a lot of them will mention FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL. Every year, over 200 artists from both within Japan and outside attend the event to play on both small and big stages from which the entire world can hear them. The idea for FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL came about from the Glastonbury Festival, an enormous annual music festival held in the UK. Naturally, then, the FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL is a huge scale music event. It’s not just a big name festival, it’s a place where you can truly enjoy the real pleasure of witnessing artists with a strong passion for what they do. It was initiated by wanting to show artists perform on stage, so it receives a lot of attention and garners plenty of popularity because of it. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the artists appearing on stage shows the kind of status they have, as this is a chief festival of Japan with a high position. So far, FUJI ROCK has given birth to many legends, and its influence has been significant not only in Japan but all around the globe.
The Best of the Best: Amazing Artists One After the Other
BABYMETAL have become well-known even in Japan in recent years, and they have made thorough preparations to descend onto the stage at FUJI ROCK. Their world tour is on par with the most well-known heavy metal bands to date, and they have even ranked in the charts on Billboard in America. It is this vigour that has created the whirlwind that is BABYMETAL. MAN WITH A MISSION are a band who lead the world of traditional Japanese music, and this will be their second time appearing at the festival. It seems their tremendous popularity will pave the way for them to grow even more overseas. Suchmos are an outstanding young band with a lot of strength who you won’t be able to take your eyes off. Inspired by a wide range of genres including soul, acid and hip-hop, you will no doubt become addicted to their songs from only one listen. There’s a huge variety of other bands that will be performing too. You are sure to find yourself saying “There was such an amazing band like this in Japan?!”
Crossing the Seas: Genreless Music Gathers in Naeba
The many performers from overseas are sure to heat us up yet again this year with their brilliant performances. Out of all of them, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are the stand-outs. They were the headlining act back in 2006, and they will be headlining the festival again this year. VANT will also be performing, an up-and-coming indie rock band from the UK. Anticipating is also building for SIGUR RÓS who will be performing at FUJI ROCK for the first time in 11 years. From big name bands to rookies, the excitement will only increase as we draw closer to the diverse and chaotic line-up of this year’s FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL.
Attending FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL will without doubt be an experience you will never forget. Early Summer — take a step out of reality. You will be so engulfed in the excitement and sense of fulfilment that you will forget about the heat. You are sure to have made plenty of wonderful memories and have cooled down by the end of it. Enjoying the short summer nights while reminiscing in the lingering memories of the event is sure a luxury, is it not? I urge you to try finding out for yourself how much fun you can have – there isn’t only music to enjoy, but there’s the festival food, the signing sessions, the merch. Be moderate, and have the best festival experience with everyone.
Original Text = Chikako Irimatsugawa
◼︎ Event Details
“20th Anniversary FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL’16”
Date: Friday July 22nd, Saturday July 23rd, Sunday July 24th
Location: Naeba Ski Resort, Yuzawa, Niigata
Time: Open 9:00 / Start 11:00 / End 23:00
◼︎ Line-up
Friday July 22nd – Day 1
■SIGUR RÓS
■JAMES BLAKE
■ROUTE 17 Rock’n’Roll ORCHESTRA (feat. Aki Yashiro, Reichi “CHABO” Nakaido, Tamio Okuda, Tortoise Matsumoto)
■JAKE BUGG
■BIFFY CLYRO
■BOREDOMS
■DISCLOSURE
■FLIGHT FACILITIES
■illion
■THE INTERNET
■Suchmos
■KOHH
■LA GOSSA SORDA
■The Birthday
■THE BAWDIES
■COURTNEY BARNETT
■LÅPSLEY
■TRASHCAN SINATRAS
■LUCKY TAPES
and more…
Saturday July 23rd – 2nd Day
■BECK
■WILCO
■TRAVIS
■MAN WITH A MISSION
■TOM ODELL
■WANIMA
■SQUAREPUSHER
■TORTOISE
■EGO-WRAPPIN’
■THE HEAVY
■ZAINICHI FUNK
■VANT
■THE COLLECTORS
■KULA SHAKER
■The Cro-Magnons
■LOOK PARK
■Seiko Oomori
■THE ALBUM LEAF
■avengers in sci-fi
■Homecomings
and more…
Sunday July 24th – Day 3
■RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
■BEN HARPER & THE INNOCENT CRIMINALS
■Ken Yokoyama
■STEREOPHONICS
■2CELLOS
■MARK ERNESTUS’ NDAGGA RHYTHM FORCE
■Denki Groove
■BATTLES
■Explosions In The Sky
■BABYMETAL
■ROBERT GLASPER EXPERIMENT
■SOIL&”PIMP”SESSIONS
■DEAFHEAVEN
■BO NINGEN
■YEARS & YEARS
■JACK GARRATT
■THE AVALANCHES
■TROYE SIVAN
■DMA’S
■SLOT MACHINE
■SABANNAMAN
and more…
-
The lineup for FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL 2016 has been announced!
Being the first Japanese artist to hit Wembley Arena headlining the show in April, BABYMETAL have taken steps into their new adventure on their world tour. BABYMETAL will also be performing at Naeba! Yojiro Noda from RADWIMPS, who is also the talk of the festival, will reveal his new solo project ‘illion’ on stage to all his fans.
Also making this year’s scene at FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL 2016 is the world’s new generation music by Suchmos, guaranteed to buzz the crowd. Also look out for the new symbol of Japanese hiphop KOHH, who are very popular with overseas fans through their unique culture.
This 20-year commemoration festival is getting really hot, so get your tickets here as soon as possible!
■Information
SMASH go round 20th Anniversary FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL 2016
Performance days：Friday 22nd , Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th July 2016
Venue：Naeba Ski Resort, Yuzawa-cho, Niigata Prefecture
Times：Doors open: 9:00 Performances begin: 11:00 Scheduled finish time: 23:00
Details about purchasing tickets：http://www.fujirockfestival.com/ticket/
FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL 2016 official site：http://www.fujirockfestival.com
＜4th artist lineup＞ NEW!
BABYMETAL / DEAFHEAVEN / FLIGHT FACILITIES / illion / KOHH / LA GOSSA SORDA / THE NEW MASTERSOUNDS / SLOT MACHINE / Suchmos / TODD TERRY
＜3rd artist lineup＞
JAMES BLAKE / Ken Yokoyama / The Birthday / BO NINGEN / EGO-WRAPPIN’ / JUMP WITH JOEY / MAN WITH A MISSION / MARK ERNESTUS’ NDAGGA RHYTHM FORCE / SOICHI TERADA / TRASHCAN SINATRAS / WANIMA
＜2nd artist lineup＞
BECK、EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY、THE HEAVY、LEE “SCRATCH” PERRY、SOPHIE
＜1st artist lineup＞
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS、 SIGUR ROS、 DISCLOSURE、 BATTLES、 BEN HARPER & THE INNOCENT CRIMINALS、 CON BRIO、 COURTNEY BARNETT、 ERNEST RANGLIN、 G.LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE、 DJ HARVEY、 THE INTERNET、 JACK GARRATT、 JAKE BUGG、 KAMASI WASHINGTON、 KULA SHAKER、 LEON BRIDGES、 MURA MASA、 OLIVER HELDENS、 ROBERT GLASPER EXPERIMENT、 SQUAREPUSHER、 2 CELLOS
