The 23rd Kyoto Intercollegiate Festa Takes the Stage! Student-Led “Forth Great” Festival [Partner Event Report]

Kyoto has many fascinating festivals, most famously the “Three Great Festivals”—the Gion Matsuri, Aoi Matsuri, and Jidai Matsuri—which draw massive crowds from around the world.

But do you know there is a group of passionate students working to add a fourth to that prestigious list? In Kyoto, a city where students make up about 10% of the population, a unique student-led initiative called the Kyoto Intercollegiate Festa celebrated its 23rd anniversary in 2025.

This report will take you inside the 23rd Kyoto Intercollegiate Festa, held on October 12th!

What is Kyoto Intercollegiate Festa?

Organized by students from Kyoto’s universities, the Kyoto Intercollegiate Festa has been an annual October event since 2003, drawing over 100,000 visitors to Heian Shrine and the Okazaki Promenade. With Kyoto’s reputation as a ‘college town,’ boasting over 30 universities, the festival’s production is driven by student unity. This year, the festival will be held for the 23rd time, and with the cooperation of the local community, businesses, schools, and the Kyoto City government, its student planners will strive to put on a great show for people of all ages and attract over 100,000 guests with food, music, dance, sports, and arts. All guests are welcome to come and experience the diversity and creativity that the ‘college town’ of Kyoto can bring!

The 23rd Kyoto Intercollegiate Festa will be held under the theme of “Every Encounter is Destiny”, and we will treasure even the smallest encounters and connections, and aim to connect the Kyoto Intercollegiate Festa as a beloved festival that will continue for decades to come. The organizing committee will do our utmost to ensure that the Kyoto Intercollegiate Festa becomes one of the “Four Great Kyoto Festivals” !

A Major Event Powered by Students in Kyoto

The executive committee members, clad in red original T-shirts, are students from various universities belonging to the Consortium of Universities in Kyoto. You could spot them all over the venue, welcoming visitors with warm smiles and hospitality. These students are all volunteers who have spent an entire year preparing for this day. The performers and exhibitors are, of course, university students as well, with members of clubs and hobby groups adding their own unique color to each project.

On the day of the event, filled with everyone’s hard work and passion, various attractions were held across the entire Okazaki Park, centered around the main stage in front of the Heian Jingu Shrine.

Dance Performances Lit Up the Main Stage

The Performance by Shibuyou

Despite a rainy forecast, the weather held out, giving students a chance to shine in the cool autumn air of Kyoto. With the magnificent Heian Jingu Shrine as a backdrop, the main stage hosted events like the “Zenkoku Odori Performance” and the “Kyo-en! Sodefure! Contest”.

The “Kyo-en! Sodefure! Contest” is a signature event, featuring original creative dances with unique Kyoto-inspired music, choreography, and costumes. Ten teams, composed of members from universities across Kyoto, competed fiercely with powerful performances that electrified the venue.

The team in the photo above is “Shibuyou”, a joint team from Doshisha University, Doshisha Women’s College, and Otani University. Their performance was themed around Sakamoto Ryoma, the famous person of Meiji era, expressing the “dawn of a new era”. The way their movements spread out radially, like a blooming flower, truly made you feel as if you were witnessing the dawn of a new civilization. It was a dance that completely drew you into its world.

The incredible volume of their shouts and their sharp, crisp movements were the very definition of youthful energy. As a competition, the excitement only grew more intense toward the end. The atmosphere was electric! The cheers and music could be heard all the way from the Shirakawa River area as you walked from Higashiyama Station.

After judging, the Grand Prize was awarded to Kyo-en Sodefure! Saikyo Zensen”, a team primarily composed of members from Kyoto University and Kyoto Prefectural University. You can check out the team’s victory on their official Instagram! → https://www.instagram.com/saikyozensen/

Meanwhile, at a sub-venue that boldly took over the car-free Jingu-michi road (the street with the giant torii), more student performances were on display. Nestled between the KYOCERA Museum of Art and the National Museum of Modern Art, this was a perfect stage that easily caught the eye of passersby. Being a Sunday, it was impressive to see not only the families and friends of the performers but also countless tourists stopping to give warm rounds of applause to the students dancing their hearts out.

In Conclusion

The Kyoto Intercollegiate Festa was packed with projects where youthful energy created a huge buzz, offering a fantastic time for everyone who attended. The students’ challenge to create the fourth great festival of Kyoto was a celebration that respected tradition while forging a new culture with fresh creativity. The heartfelt applause for the performances and the smiles of visitors of all generations were the proof that this event has become truly loved by many over its 23-year history.

Join the Team! Now Recruiting for the 2026 Committee!

Looking ahead to next year, the Kyoto Intercollegiate Festa is searching for new members. Why not join the executive committee, make connections beyond your own university, and help bring excitement to Kyoto?