The full timetable for “Tokyo Idol Festival 2026 supported by Nishitan Clinic” has been released, confirming that the three-day idol festival will open with a set from Arin of Momoiro Clover Z and close with a headline performance by Nogizaka46. The event runs July 31 to August 2 across multiple outdoor and indoor stages in Tokyo’s Odaiba Aomi area.
On day one, Arin will once again serve as the traditional first act on the outdoor SMILE GARDEN stage, a slot she has held in previous years. Over on the festival’s largest venue, HOT STAGE, Hello! Project groups OCHA NORMA and Juice=Juice will open the day, while Chotokimeki Sendenbu — a group that has announced it will disband in spring 2027 — closes out HOT STAGE. AKB48 wraps up SMILE GARDEN. Also appearing on day one are FRUITS ZIPPER’s Yui Sakurai, KAWAII LAB. acts CANDY TUNE, SWEET STEADY and CUTIE STREET, Stardust Promotion groups Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku and Iginari Tohokusan, and PassCode, which returns to TIF for the first time in a decade with a full band set.
Day two features a rare appearance by Nogizaka46’s folk duo Cafe au Lait, made up of members Mao Ikashiro and Iroha Okuda, on the DOLL FACTORY stage. HOT STAGE that day includes INUWASI, Tsubaki Factory, Devil ANTHEM., HKT48 and SKE48, building to a run of three groups produced by Rino Sashihara — =JOY, =ME and =LOVE — with =LOVE’s Sana Morohashi also taking a solo slot on SMILE GARDEN. Maki Goto, making her second consecutive TIF appearance, performs at 15:15 on the HEAT GARDEN stage.
The festival’s final day brings Takane no Nadeshiko, NGT48, Yuki Kashiwagi, NMB48, STU48, Phantom Cheetah, yosugala and Kyururintte Shite Mite to HOT STAGE, alongside WACK group ExWHYZ, which has also announced its disbandment this year. GANG PARADE closes out the HEAT GARDEN stage. The night ends with Nogizaka46 headlining HOT STAGE, followed by a grand finale performance bringing the three-day event to a close.
Who are Arin and Nogizaka46?
Arin is the nickname of Ayaka Sasaki, a member of the veteran idol group Momoiro Clover Z, known in Japan for their high-energy performances and acrobatic choreography since forming in 2008. Nogizaka46 is one of Japan’s most popular idol groups, formed in 2011 as a “rival” group to AKB48 and known for chart-topping singles and members who have gone on to careers in acting and variety television.
Tokyo Idol Festival, commonly known as TIF, is one of Japan’s largest idol music festivals, drawing hundreds of idol groups — from major names to up-and-coming acts — to multiple stages over a single weekend each summer.
