Gifu Nobunaga Matsuri 2026: See the Samurai Parade Free, Sunday Nov 8

Gifu Nobunaga Matsuri (ぎふ信長まつり) returns on Saturday and Sunday, November 7–8, 2026. The festival fills central Gifu City, but its headline event, the Nobunaga Cavalcade (信長公騎馬武者行列), takes place only on the second day.

The cavalcade is a mounted procession of warriors in Warring States armor, held on the afternoon of Sunday, November 8. You can watch it for free from the sidewalks along Kinkabashi-dori (金華橋通り), with no advance booking.

The one seated viewing area is set aside by lottery for Gifu City residents (elementary and junior-high students with a guardian), so travelers from outside the city watch from the roadside or at the public viewing instead.

The Nobunaga Cavalcade is on the afternoon of Sunday, November 8. Travelers have two free ways to see it with no booking: the roadside along Kinkabashi-dori, or the public-viewing screen at Yanagase.

Many of Japan's autumn festivals fall within the same few weeks. You can find more of them in our guide to Japan's autumn festivals.

2026 Dates and Overview

In 2026, the festival celebrates its 70th edition, held across central Gifu City. Its full name is the Gifu City Industry and Agriculture Fair – Gifu Nobunaga Matsuri (岐阜市産業・農業祭〜ぎふ信長まつり〜).

Official site: Gifu Nobunaga Matsuri

The Nobunaga Cavalcade: Sunday Afternoon

The procession sets off in the early afternoon of the second day. From about 12:45 to 14:30, mounted warriors and a matchlock-gun corps march along Kinkabashi-dori.

The route starts at the Gifu City Culture Center (岐阜市文化センター, Kanamachi 5-7-2) and heads toward Ale Gifu in the Yanagase area.

An opening ceremony begins at 11:50 at the Gifu City Culture Center, before the march. In 2026, actor Yuki Morinaga (森永悠希) plays Oda Nobunaga, and the Gifu-born artist LiSA plays Nohime (濃姫).

They are joined by warriors such as Hashiba Hideyoshi and Hashiba Hidenaga, a matchlock-gun corps, and music bands from local elementary and high schools.

The organizer also asks visitors not to post photos or videos of the guest performers, Yuki Morinaga and LiSA, on social media.

Three Ways to Watch the Parade for Free

There are three ways to watch. Anyone can watch from the roadside or at the public viewing.

The seated area is for Gifu City residents only, so it is not an option for travelers from outside the city. No paid grandstand seating has been announced for 2026.

1. Kinkabashi-dori roadside (no booking, open to all)

The simplest option is the sidewalk along Kinkabashi-dori, where the procession passes. No booking, no charge. Anywhere along the stretch from the Culture Center to Ale Gifu works.

2. Seated viewing at the opening ceremony (lottery, Gifu residents only)

A seated area for the opening ceremony is set aside at the Gifu City Culture Center, but only for Gifu City residents: elementary and junior-high students with a guardian.

The seated area holds about 200 people. If applications exceed that, places are assigned by lottery; applications run from October 1 to October 23, 2026. Travelers from outside the city are not eligible.

3. Public viewing (no booking, open to all)

A large screen shows the ceremony and the procession live at "G Terrace" on the first floor of Yanagase Grassle 35 (柳ケ瀬グラッスル35, Tetsumei-dori 2-18). The viewing runs for about three hours from 11:50 on Sunday, November 8. It is open to anyone, and no booking is required.

It's a good fallback when the roadside is packed and you can't get a clear view.

If It Rains

The Nobunaga Cavalcade is canceled if it rains, and no rain date has been announced. If the weather looks uncertain, check the official site's notices from the day before through the morning of the event.

If it rains, the seated viewing for the opening ceremony runs from 11:50 to 12:30. The public viewing then shows only the opening ceremony, for about an hour.

Getting There from Gifu Station

The north plaza of JR Gifu Station is itself one of the venues, and the other sites are a short walk away, at most about 15 minutes on foot.

Both Kinkabashi-dori, where the parade passes, and the Culture Center, where it starts, are within walking distance of the station. Gifu is about 20 minutes from Nagoya on the JR Tokaido Line.

There is no dedicated parking near the venues, and the organizer directs visitors to private lots nearby. Downtown will be crowded that day, so the train is the most practical way to get there.

Gifu City and the Gifu Prefectural Police usually announce the road closures and times for the two festival days, November 7 and 8, just before the event. The 2026 details are not out as of this writing.

Expect restrictions centered on Kinkabashi-dori, and check the latest details on the official site and with the prefectural police.

Other Events Across the Two Days

Food and merchandise stalls are open from roughly 10:00 to 16:00 on both days, November 7 and 8. They include the Gifu Nobunaga Ekimae Rakuichi market and the "Aozora Café Gifu" food-truck lineup.

Some of them depend on the weather on both festival days (November 7 and 8): the "Aozora Café Gifu" food trucks are canceled in rain, and the Gifu Nobunaga Ekimae Rakuichi market is canceled in severe weather.

During the festival, a memorial service for Nobunaga is held at Sofuku-ji (崇福寺), and dance performances are staged in front of JR Gifu Station.

For an autumn festival elsewhere in Gifu, see Takayama Autumn Festival. For another autumn festival in the Chubu region, see our guide to the Nagoya Matsuri.