How to apply, on one page
After receiving your invitation, there is only one first step: submit the Stage 1 application. Basic details only — no payment, and no need to choose a plan yet.
Three steps
- STOP1
Submit the Stage 1 application
On the website's Apply page, enter your school or group name, country, contact email, category and number of participants. For a group, one teacher or group leader submits once; soloists and chamber ensembles apply individually.
Go to Apply › - STOP2
Review by the Executive Committee
We check that your group matches the participants and line-ups this festival is set up for. You'll hear by email, and you can check any time on the Status page with your application number and email. If anything is missing, we tell you item by item.
Check status › - STOP3
Approved — formal registration
You receive a private link where you choose your plan, see the official fees, invite members to fill in their details, and pay. Once payment is confirmed, every member gets an e-pass with photo and QR code.
See every step on a phone screen — registration walkthrough ›
Why is there a review first?
The Sōkyō Arts Music Festival is an international cultural tourism event held in Kyoto, and every group that performs at ROHM Theatre Kyoto must clearly match the participants it is set up for. So every application — including groups hoping for funding support — starts by submitting basic details for a formal review by the Executive Committee. Plans and payment open only after approval. The review is free.
Fees come in two separate tables
This is the question we're asked most. Please read the two tables separately:
① Festival Plans table
The festival itself: choose one of competition or performance (Ensemble Flex Plan, Honor Performance, Arts Integration Plan), plus optional per-person add-ons.
✕ Does not include hotel, meals or transfers, nor flights and visas.
② Kyoto Landing Package table
Life in Kyoto after you land: hotel, meals, venue transfers, instrument transport, rehearsal room, on-site liaison — choose Light, Standard or Full.
✕ Does not include any festival fee, nor flights and visas. Optional — you may arrange your own stay.
Per person = festival plan + landing package (only if chosen). Example: USD 340 + USD 600 = USD 940 per person.
Prices shown are for reference; the official plans and fees are those in your Stage 2 link after approval.
Apply as a group — groups can request partial funding support
- Funding support covers the festival fee (Festival Plan) only.
- The Kyoto Landing Package (hotel, meals, transfers) is not covered, nor are flights and visas.
- All funding support starts with the Stage 1 application and is assessed during the Executive Committee's review, based on two things: the number of participants, and whether the group matches the participants this festival is set up for.
- Support cannot be offered or promised by message or email; it depends on the review result.
FAQ
Does the Stage 1 application cost anything?
No. Stage 1 asks for basic details only — no payment and no plan selection. Plans and fees appear in your private link after approval.
Do we need a final headcount and plan before applying?
No. Enter your expected number of participants; the final list is filled in by members at Stage 2, where you also choose the plan. There's no need to settle fees before applying.
What does funding support cover, and how do we request it?
Only the festival fee (Festival Plan) — not the Kyoto Landing Package (hotel, meals, transfers), flights or visas. There is no separate form: submit the Stage 1 application and it is assessed during the review.
How do group and individual applications differ?
A group's teacher or leader submits one application; after approval they receive a leader page and member invitation links, and each member fills in their own details. Soloists and chamber ensembles apply individually.
How will we know the review result?
By email. After submitting you get an application number (starting with AP); enter it with your email on the Status page any time. Forgot the number? You can look it up with your email alone.
What's the difference between the two tables? Must we choose both?
The Festival Plan is the festival itself (competition or performance); the Landing Package is hotel, meals and transfers after arrival. One Festival Plan is required; the Landing Package is optional. If you choose both, add them together.
Can we join the festival only and arrange our own stay?
Yes — choose a Festival Plan only. August is peak season in Kyoto, so please plan accommodation and transport early.
What about flights and visas?
Neither table includes flights or visas; each group arranges its own. For members who need a visa, the Executive Committee issues an invitation letter for each confirmed traveller to support the visa and travel paperwork.
How do we pay?
By bank transfer at Stage 2 — members can pay individually, or the teacher can collect and transfer once. Without payment, e-passes are not issued and on-site check-in is not possible.
Who do we ask about anything else?
Message our official LINE @923keyno or email info@kyotoartsfestival.com, and our staff will reply to you personally.
Submit the application first — we'll guide you from there
The Stage 1 application is free and doesn't commit you to a plan. Once it's in, the Executive Committee will support your group step by step.
Official LINE @923keyno · info@kyotoartsfestival.com