Kyotophonie Borderless Spring Festival 2025

Event date:
April 12, 2025 at 8:57 pm
Event end:
May 11, 2025 at 8:57 pm

Dates: April 12 – May 11, 2025
Location: Various venues across Kyoto, Japan

The Kyotophonie Borderless Music Festival returns for its 2025 Spring Edition, celebrating its mission of blending cultures, genres, and art forms in the historic heart of Kyoto. Spanning a month of immersive performances and creative collaborations, Kyotophonie presents a unique convergence of sound, nature, architecture, and heritage.

Founded by Lucille Reyboz and Yusuke Nakanishi, the same creative minds behind the internationally acclaimed Kyotographie photography festival, Kyotophonie offers an intimate, curated festival experience. It breaks down conventional boundaries between artist and audience, performer and venue, tradition and modernity.

What to Expect in 2025

Kick-Off Party – April 12
The festival launches with a vibrant opening party at CLUB METRO, Kyoto’s iconic underground venue. Expect DJ sets, visual art installations, and a blend of electronic and world music to set the tone for the weeks ahead.

Live Performances – Throughout April and May
Kyotophonie’s performance line-up spans genres including folk, classical, electronic, experimental, and global music traditions. Highlights this spring include:

Filipe Catto, a Brazilian artist whose powerful voice and emotional performances blend traditional Latin influences with modern pop aesthetics.
KOM_I, the genre-defying Japanese performer known for her futuristic style and immersive stage presence.
Soundwalk Collective and Patti Smith’s “Correspondences”, a multisensory audio-visual experience combining poetry, ambient soundscapes, and storytelling, performed in a stunning Kyoto theater setting.

Unique Venues
Concerts and experiences are held in a range of thoughtfully selected spaces, from traditional wooden temples and bamboo groves to contemporary halls and urban clubs. Each venue is chosen to amplify the themes of harmony, transformation, and cultural dialogue.

Art, Nature, and Food
Kyotophonie isn’t just about music. The festival also includes immersive art installations, spiritual workshops, talks, and pop-up food stalls featuring organic and locally sourced dishes that reflect Kyoto’s rich culinary traditions. Guests can enjoy performances under cherry blossoms, explore sound installations tucked into gardens, or attend sunrise meditations accompanied by live ambient music.

Tickets:

Venue: ROHM Theatre Kyoto
Date: Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Ticket Prices:
- SS Seats: ¥20,000
- S Seats: ¥13,000
- A Seats: ¥9,000
- B Seats: ¥5,500
Japan General Sales Start: March 8, 2025
International Sales Begin: March 1, 2025 (Online)

Philosophy of Kyotophonie

Kyotophonie aims to foster deeper listening — not only to music, but to each other and the natural world. Its ‘borderless’ concept is rooted in the belief that music can unite people across cultural, linguistic, and generational divides. With a strong emphasis on sustainability, inclusivity, and peace, it invites locals and global travelers alike to discover Kyoto in a new light.