September in Tokyo trades the stadium scale of August’s festival season for something more intimate and, in a lot of cases, more reflective. This month’s calendar is varied, with performances from multiple city pop icons to a Scottish indie band revisiting the album that made them 30 years ago. There’s also a strong run of the city’s current underground, from a shoegaze band’s biggest headline show yet to a cross-border meeting between Tokyo and Taipei’s rock scenes.
Here’s what’s worth checking out.
9 Unmissable Live Shows in Tokyo This September
The Weeknd: After Hours Til Dawn Tour
The Weeknd needs little introduction, but one detail is worth knowing going in: his 2022 hit “Out of Time” samples “Midnight Pretenders,” a 1983 song by city pop singer Tomoko Aran. This stop is the singer’s first time back in Japan in seven years, and the original September 20 date sold out immediately, prompting an added second night on September 19 with Creepy Nuts as support.
When: September 19–20, 2026 (doors 15:00, start 17:00)
Where: Belluna Dome, Saitama
Tickets: A ¥12,955 / S ¥25,955 / SS ¥35,955 — September 20 Sold Out; September 19 on sale as of press time
Ticket Info
Kadomatsu Toshiki “45th Anniversary Live”
If you’ve ever fallen down a city pop rabbit hole on YouTube, there’s a good chance Toshiki Kadomatsu’s fingerprints are somewhere on the trail. As a songwriter, arranger and solo artist since the early ’80s, he helped define the genre’s glossy, funk-inflected sound, and his songwriting and production credits run through some of the era’s most enduring records, Anri’s included (more on that below).
When: September 5, 2026 (doors 16:30, start 17:30)
Where: Tachikawa Stage Garden
Tickets: ¥11,000 reserved seating
Ticket Info
Anri Live 2026 Heaven Beach
Anri’s 1982 album Heaven Beach has had an unlikely second life: “Last Summer Whisper,” the record’s centerpiece, was written and composed by Toshiki Kadomatsu and became one of the tracks that introduced a new generation of overseas listeners to city pop after algorithm-driven YouTube playlists picked it up in the 2010s.
This “Heaven Beach” tour brings that album’s sun-bleached sound back to the stage in full, one day after Kadomatsu himself played the day before. The Tokyo date has already sold out, but official resales may still surface closer to the date.
When: September 6, 2026 (doors 17:00, start 17:30)
Where: Tamashin Risuru Hall, Tachikawa
Tickets: ¥11,000 reserved seating — Sold Out
Ticket Info
Cornelius Refractions Tour 2026
Keigo Oyamada, better known by his stage name Cornelius, has spent three decades as one of Japan’s most inventive producers, from his Shibuya-kei roots through the sample-heavy Fantasma to more recent work scoring films and events. His live shows lean heavily on visuals, with layered video and tight audiovisual syncing. This Yokohama stop on the “Refractions” tour comes with a bonus cassette tape for early ticket buyers.
When: September 10, 2026 (doors 18:00, start 19:00)
Where: KT Zepp Yokohama
Tickets: ¥11,000 general / ¥14,500 with bonus cassette (student pricing also available)
Ticket Info
Hammer Head Shark: Only my Void
Hammer Head Shark formed in Chiba in 2018 around vocalist Hiyu Nagai, playing the kind of shoegaze that draws comparisons to Radiohead’s The Bends. Their debut full album, 27°C, came out last year and led to a Canadian tour and a slot at Dead Pop Festival. “Only my Void” caps a run of self-curated shows around Shibuya and is the band’s biggest headline show yet.
When: September 11, 2026 (doors 18:15, start 19:00)
Where: Shibuya Club Quattro
Tickets: ¥3,000 general / ¥2,000 teens (plus drink fee)
Ticket Info
Zazen Boys × VOOID
Zazen Boys is Shutoku Mukai’s band since he ended Number Girl in 2003, known for angular, start-stop guitar rock and Mukai’s half-sung, half-spoken vocals. Their 2024 comeback album, Rando, topped Music Magazine’s year-end rock poll, and the band played its first-ever Budokan show that year. For this show they share a bill with VOOID, the project of Taiwanese musician Shen-hao Hong — the same pairing plays Taipei later in the month.
When: September 13, 2026 (doors 17:00, start 18:00)
Where: duo Music Exchange, Shibuya
Tickets: ¥5,500 (with drink fee)
Ticket Info
KOKIA Harmony ~ 20th Anniversary of Independence
KOKIA, born Akiko Yoshida, trained in violin, piano and opera at the Toho Gakuen School of Music before becoming known for her wide vocal range. She broke through with a collaboration with composer Yoko Kanno, and her song “Yume ga Chikara” was the Japanese team’s official support anthem at the 2004 Athens Olympics. This Tokyo show marks 20 years since she left major labels to run her own independent career.
When: September 13, 2026 (doors 15:45, start 16:30)
Where: Hulic Hall Tokyo
Tickets: ¥9,000 reserved seating
Ticket Info
Kikuchi Momoko “Moments”
Momoko Kikuchi debuted as an idol in 1984, known for hits like “Graduation” and “Say Yes!,” and a soft, whispery vocal style that’s since found new fans overseas through city pop streaming playlists. In her 40s she went back to school, earned a master’s degree in policy studies, took a visiting professorship, and served as a government advisor before returning to music. “Moments” is a two-night show at Ebisu’s The Garden Hall.
When: September 22, 2026 (doors 15:15, start 16:00)
Where: Ebisu The Garden Hall
Tickets: ¥10,000 reserved / ¥13,000 SS seat / ¥15,000 premium (plus drink fee)
Ticket Info
Belle & Sebastian 30th Anniversary Tour
Belle & Sebastian formed in Glasgow in 1996 around Stuart Murdoch’s quiet, literary songwriting and became one of the defining names in British indie twee pop. Their first two albums turn 30 this year, and the band is marking it by playing them in full across a short run of Asian dates. This Tokyo show is dedicated to their scrappy debut, Tigermilk; a second Tokyo date the next night covers its follow-up, If You’re Feeling Sinister.
When: September 24, 2026 (doors 18:00, start 19:00)
Where: Kanadevia Hall (formerly Tokyo Dome City Hall)
Tickets: ¥9,800 A seat / ¥12,000 S seat
Ticket Info
Everything Else On in Tokyo This September
Simon Trpčeski Piano Recital
Acclaimed Macedonian pianist Simon Trpčeski returns to Japan for a highly anticipated recital at Yamaha Hall in Ginza this September.
| Date & Time | Sep 5, 2026・7 p.m.~・Doors open at 18:30 |
| Price | ¥6,000 |
| Location | Yamaha Hall |
Adrian Sherwood Presents: Dub Sessions 2026
This September, Adrian Sherwood’s Dub Sessions returns to Japan for a high-profile collaboration featuring Warp Records mainstay Nightmares on Wax. The tour centers on the creative dialogue between the two artists following the release of In A Space Outta Dub — Sherwood’s complete deconstruction of the classic Nightmares on Wax album, In A Space Outta Sound. This technical and stylistic crossover brings together George Evelyn’s soul-drenched production with Sherwood’s legendary "On-U Sound" dub mixing, marking a rare joint appearance at Tokyo’s O-EAST (Sept 9) and Osaka’s META VALLEY (Sept 10).The performance serves as both a 20th-anniversary celebration of Evelyn’s formative work and an exploration of modern dub evolution. By stripping back the jazz and hip-hop layers of the original tracks to their rhythmic foundations, Sherwood provides a stark, experimental contrast to the smooth grooves Nightmares on Wax is known for. Tickets are available starting April 1 via the Beatink organizer pre-sale for 8,000 yen. For fans of the UK underground, this represents a significant meeting of two producers who have spent three decades defining their respective genres.
| Date & Time | Sep 9, 2026・7 p.m.~・Doors Open 18:00 |
| Price | ¥8,000 |
| Location | O-EAST |
| More Info | Separate drink charge |
Persona Live Tour 2026 -Resonance-
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Atlus Games will host a new large scale musical performance featuring music from the Persona series.
| Date & Time | Sep 11-Oct 10 |
| Price | starting at ¥8800 |
| Location | Tokyo Zepp DiverCity |
Momo Kodama × Alexandre Tharaud Duo Piano Concert
Japanese pianist Momo Kodama joins forces with renowned French pianist Alexandre Tharaud for their first-ever duo concert, at Yamaha Hall.
| Date & Time | Sep 26, 2026・4 p.m.~・Doors open at 15:30. |
| Price | ¥7,000 |
| Location | Yamaha Hall |
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Updated On September 2, 2026
