The Summer Sonic music festival will mark its 20th edition in August, featuring a star-studded lineup of both overseas and domestic artists.
Affectionately known as "Samasoni," the musical extravaganza has become a fixture of the summer concert scene due to its festive atmosphere and proximity to central Tokyo and Osaka. This year's edition looks to live up to the event's exalted history.
Cream of the crop
The first-ever Summer Sonic was held in 2000 at the Fuji-Q Highland amusement park in Yamanashi Prefecture and WTC Open Air Stadium in Osaka. Participating artists performed at both venues, an arrangement which continues today.
From the second year onward, the Tokyo-area performance has been held at Zozo Marine Stadium and Makuhari Messe in Chiba.
"At that time, we didn't think the event would continue so long. Many things were kind of done without direction," recalled Naoki Shimizu, the chief executive officer of Creativeman Productions Co., which organizes the festival.
The fourth Summer Sonic in 2003 featured two high-profile bands from Britain -- Radiohead and Blur -- drawing huge audiences. Following the breakthrough, the concert organizers felt confident the event could continue for a decade. In 2007, the Osaka venue moved to Maishima Sonic Park, where performances continue to be held.
Urban appeal
Fuji Rock Festival, which debuted in 1997, precedes Summer Sonic among Japanese music festivals featuring top-tier foreign artists. Its venue moved to Naeba Ski Resort in Niigata Prefecture beginning with its third edition, where it has won appreciation from fans looking to enjoy music amid nature in a non-urban environment. The occasional rainfall and moving from stage to stage can be tricky, but even such inconveniences are viewed as charms.
By contrast, Summer Sonic is staged in major cities, allowing fans to easily participate. Makuhari Messe is also air-conditioned, and fans can move between the two main venues by bus. A nice open-air stage is set up on a beach near the stadium.
With a finite supply of hot domestic artists, music festivals featuring only Japanese performers often feature similar names. Summer Sonic, on the other hand, always presents fresh lineups of illustrious overseas artists. Last year's performers, for example, included Billie Eilish, who was on the cusp of achieving a breakthrough in popularity. The lineup of musicians always includes a mix of both fresh names and well-known veterans.
Adventurous headliner
There will be no Summer Sonic next year as Makuhari Messe will be a venue for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. As a result, Summer Sonic 2019 will be held for three days instead of the usual two. The festival's milestone 20th edition is another reason for the extension.
For the first time ever, a Japanese band will headline the first day of the Tokyo concert, with B'z billed as the lead act.
Fewer and fewer young Japanese today are said to listen to overseas music.
"It's becoming difficult to lead with foreign artists every year," Shimizu said. "It's a three-day event this year, so we could be adventurous with the extra day. I'd always had the idea of having Japanese artists as the headline act, and [B'z] are a perfect fit."
The headliners for Day 2 include U.S. rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers and Japanese band Radwimps. Day 3 will feature some of the top names in dance music, including The Chainsmokers and Zedd.
"For the past two years, we were alarmed by the audience numbers, but ticket sales are going very well this year," Shimizu said. One-day tickets for Day 2 in Tokyo have already sold out.
"We'll take time to think about what we can do in the future. We'll definitely be back in 2021," Shimizu said.
Other artists set to perform this year include up-and-coming British singer Sam Fender; British female pop duo Bananarama, who released many hit songs in the 1980s; and the punk rock band The Damned.
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