Sapporo Snow Festival Turns Its Focus to Sustainability as Snow Becomes Less Reliable

Japan’s Sapporo Snow Festival is changing its approach for 2027, putting sustainability and environmental protection at the center of an event built around one increasingly precious resource: snow. Organizers unveiled plans for the 77th edition of the festival on July 13, introducing a new concept which translates into English as “Blessed by the Snow.” The new theme is intended to encourage people to think about the importance of snow and the effects of climate change as warmer winters make conditions increasingly challenging for the festival.

The Sapporo Snow Festival has been held annually in Hokkaido’s capital since 1950. Over the decades, it has grown into one of Japan’s best-known winter events, drawing visitors to see enormous snow sculptures at Odori Park, illuminated ice sculptures in Susukino, and family attractions at Tsudome. But the festival is facing several challenges at once.

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Warmer winters have made natural snow less reliable, while the cost of transporting and handling snow, along with labor costs, continues to rise. At the same time, the Ground Self-Defense Force (the de facto Japanese Army) is reducing its involvement in building the festival’s largest sculptures. The Self-Defense Force’s 11th Brigade informed Sapporo officials in March 2025 that it planned to reduce the number of large snow sculptures it builds from two to one beginning with the 2027 festival. The brigade cited Japan’s increasingly demanding security environment, disaster-response responsibilities, and the need to prioritize winter training.

The change is significant because Self-Defense Force personnel have traditionally played a major role in constructing some of the enormous sculptures that have become synonymous with the festival. Rather than simply trying to maintain the festival in its current form, organizers are now looking to use its enormous popularity to raise awareness about the future of snow itself.

For Sapporo residents, snow has always been something of a contradiction. Heavy snowfall can make everyday life difficult, but the same snow helps define the city’s identity and attracts visitors from around the world each winter. The new “Blessed by Snow” concept is intended to highlight that relationship while encouraging greater awareness of climate change and the changing winter environment. Organizers also hope the environmental focus will bring more residents, businesses, and organizations into the festival’s orbit, while creating new opportunities for sponsorship and visitor donations.

The festival will also introduce new attractions as it looks to reduce its dependence on enormous snow sculptures. One of the most visible additions will be a large snow slide beneath Sapporo TV Tower at the Odori Park venue. The structure will be built by packing snow around a scaffolding frame and will stand approximately 7 meters (23 feet) tall and stretch between 35 and 50 meters (115 to 164 feet) long. Visitors will pay to use the slide.

At the same time, organizers plan to reduce the overall amount of snow used by the festival, cutting transportation requirements and associated costs. The festival is also planning to keep some operations running for approximately 10 days after the main event ends.

The changes will be supported in part by Sapporo’s municipal accommodation tax. Approximately ¥290 million ($1.8 million) has been allocated for measures connected to the 2027 festival, including the new slide, venue design work, and infrastructure for collecting donations from visitors. The festival’s total budget is expected to increase by approximately ¥230 million ($1.5 million) compared with the previous year’s final accounting.

Despite the changes, the festival will retain its three traditional venues. Odori Park will continue to host the event’s enormous snow sculptures, Susukino will feature illuminated ice sculptures, and Tsudome will remain the family-oriented venue with indoor and outdoor activities.

The 77th Sapporo Snow Festival is scheduled for February 4-11, 2027.

For an event whose identity has been built around enormous quantities of snow, the new direction reflects an increasingly unavoidable reality. The Sapporo Snow Festival isn’t simply celebrating snow anymore. It is beginning to grapple with what happens if there is less of it to celebrate.