HANABIE. will play COUNTDOWN JAPAN 26/27 at Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Halls in Chiba on Tuesday, December 29. The band's official site added the date to its live schedule on October 28, the day the festival announced its full line-up: 179 acts in all, with HANABIE. among those added that day. The festival runs on December 26, 27, 29, 30 and 31, and its own site bills it as Japan's biggest year-end festival. On the 29th, doors open at 9:30 and the show starts at 12:00. The second ticket lottery is open in the festival's official app until 16:00 on Monday, November 2.

December 29: 33 acts, among them SiM, MAN WITH A MISSION and Maximum the Hormone

According to the festival's artist list, 33 acts play each of the 26th, 27th, 29th and 30th, and 47 play the 31st. For the 29th, HANABIE.'s day, the first announcement had already named SiM, MAN WITH A MISSION, Maximum the Hormone, 9mm Parabellum Bullet and amazarashi, among others, and the October 28 announcement added HANABIE. along with Dizzy Sunfist, KUZIRA, Hitorie, w.o.d. and Suchmos.

HANABIE.'s official live schedule gives doors at 9:30 and the show starting at 12:00 on the 29th. The festival uses Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Halls 1 to 11 and the Event Hall. The timetable, which sets each act's time, had not been published as of October 28.

The second ticket lottery runs until 16:00 on November 2, through the festival's app

The second ticket lottery opened at 12:15 on Wednesday, October 28 and closes at 16:00 on Monday, November 2, through the festival's official app. Results come out at 16:00 on Friday, November 6, and payment is due between 16:00 on November 6 and 16:00 on Monday, November 9. One application covers up to four people, and each companion has to register in the app in person before the application period ends. Discounted sets that combine several days are also offered.

Every ticket is an electronic ticket issued in the app and checked by face recognition at the gate, and an original photo ID is required on the day. The area in front of each stage is cleared after every act and is open only to those who win a separate lottery planned for late November, which is limited to people who bought their tickets in a presale.

In a message published on October 28, the festival's general producer writes that this second presale, timed with the full line-up announcement, has sold out every day for the past three years. The venue's capacity has been raised slightly from last year through changes to how the event is run, but heavy demand is still expected.

A tour to Zepp Shinjuku on December 12, a single in November and an album in December

HANABIE. have been touring Japan since September 19 on their own HANABIE. presents zeppin!! 2MAMI TOUR 2026. According to the band's live schedule, from Osaka BIG CAT on October 30 it moves on through Hamamatsu, Sapporo, Tomakomai, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Sendai and Morioka to Zepp Shinjuku on Saturday, December 12.

Along the way the band plays TRUE NORTH FESTIVAL 2026, the festival Crystal Lake hosts at Toyosu PIT, on Sunday, November 22, and HOSHIKUMA MINAMI NOVA TOUR at Nagoya Club Quattro on Wednesday, December 2, and on Friday, December 18 and Sunday, December 20 it appears at 2026 Hero Rock Festival - Incheon at Songdo Convensia in South Korea. In the new year come New Year Show in Hawaii 2027 in Honolulu on Saturday, January 9, and, at the same Makuhari Messe, Halls 1 to 3, BUKUROCK! FESTIVAL 2027 on Thursday, February 11, a national holiday.

New releases keep coming. "Bari Bari Buddy", the ending theme of the TV anime Reincarnated as a Sword II, has been streaming since October 8, and a third single led by the song follows on Wednesday, November 4. The third album, UMAMI, is out on Wednesday, December 2; its first-press limited edition (CD + Blu-ray) carries a video disc of the band's show at Zepp Haneda in Tokyo from their 2026 Japan tour.

Sources