Bird Theatre Festival, the international arts festival based in Shikano, Tottori, which has been running since 2008, will also be running this year. The festival has a wonderful program in store, including theatre performances from Japanese and overseas companies, pop-up theatre spaces in the town, circus performances, dances, and puppet shows. This is a wonderful event to rediscover your love for the stage and is an accessible festival for families and those with disabilities. This year is the 19th rendition of the festival and will feature a range of wonderful performances including “TOWA MURA”, a collaborative show between a Scottish theatre troupe and Bird Theatre Company Tottori which deals with declining birth rates and depopulation, “top”, a show by Régine Chopinot, a choreographer best known for her work in French contemporary dance during the 1980s, and “The Origin of the Song ‘Karatachi Nikki’”, a tragic love story performed by Tadashi Suzuki, from the Suzuki Company of Toga, and professional storytellers. This year’s theme is: “War, the crisis of democracy, the weak yen, rising prices, and the hardships of rural life! That’s why we’re doing this!”

Bird Theatre Festival 2026
Dates: September 19, 2026 – October 4 (Performances are mostly on weekends and holidays)
Venue: Bird Theatre and surrounding locations in Shikano, Tottori
Host: Bird Theatre Management Committee