I'm not just going to see Ado—How I'll spend August 15th at Summer Sonic 2026
Tomorrow is finally the day I attend SUMMER SONIC 2026 Tokyo on August 15th.
Of course, my main goal is Ado.
However, since I'm going to Summer Sonic, it would be a waste to just see Ado and go home.
I can cross through artists who are currently on the rise, young Japanese talent, international artists, and rock bands all in one day.
Especially this time, Ado will be the headliner, performing a 90-minute set at the end.
In that case, I want to see various artists perform beforehand, and then confirm, "So, what will Ado show us as a headliner?"
That is the kind of day I plan to have.
11:05 HANA—Seeing "what's hot right now" with my own eyes
First up is HANA on the MARINE STAGE.
They are performing from 11:05 to 11:45. Luckily, I won a pre-sale ticket, so I intend to watch from as close to the front as possible.
HANA is a seven-member group born from "No No Girls," an audition held by BMSG and Chanmina.
I hear their name very often as a promising new act in the current Japanese music scene.
That is exactly why, rather than just knowing their songs, I want to experience
"what kind of atmosphere an artist who is currently in their prime creates live"
for myself.
I want to see how much a group born from an audition can captivate an audience at an actual large-scale festival.
I'm quite looking forward to it from the start.
12:30 Mulasaki Ima—Seeing a young artist from the same generation as Ado
Next is Mulasaki Ima on the BEACH STAGE.
From 12:30 to 13:00.
I only know 'Femme Fatale A', but I'm tagging along this time because a friend wants to see her.
Looking into it, Murasaki-ima was born in 2002. Ado was also born in 2002, so they are actually the same generation.
It's easy to forget when you're only following Ado, but new artists are emerging one after another from the generation that is still in their early twenties.
Precisely because I only know one song, I can watch the live performance without any preconceptions.
I'm looking forward to seeing how a young singer-songwriter structures a 30-minute festival set.
13:50 BE:FIRST—How far has Japanese dance and vocal music come?
Moving back to the MARINE STAGE for BE:FIRST.
From 13:50 to 14:40.
I only really know 'Mainstream'.
And after looking it up this time, I realized for the first time that BE:FIRST was also a group born from the BMSG audition 'THE FIRST'.
In the sense that they are in the same BMSG lineage as HANA, it seems interesting to see both in one day.
BE:FIRST is a group that is also active internationally.
I initially thought I'd just check them out because they're famous, but they've unexpectedly become one of the acts I'm looking forward to most.
15:20 Hitsujibungaku—Checking out an acclaimed band live
From 15:20, it's Hitsujibungaku at the MOUNTAIN STAGE.
This was also included at a friend's request.
However, I quite liked 'more than words', which was the ending theme for the second season of 'Jujutsu Kaisen: Shibuya Incident', so I wanted to see them myself as well.
Hitsujibungaku's 'Koe' won the Best Alternative Song award at this year's MUSIC AWARDS JAPAN 2026. They are a band highly regarded as alternative artists.
I wonder how they will recreate the atmosphere of their recordings with the high volume and space of a festival.
I'm expecting a performance that draws the audience in, in a completely different direction from flashy dancing or production.
17:25 ALEX WARREN—Seeing a globally popular newcomer for the first time
I've actually become quite excited about this part.
While looking up performers with a friend to decide who to see, we listened to one song by ALEX WARREN.
That was when both of us went,
"This is it!"
and were hooked.
MARINE STAGE starting at 17:25.
I looked him up and found that ALEX WARREN is a nominee for Best New Artist at the 2026 Grammy Awards, so he can definitely be called a globally breakout artist.
To begin with, this will be my first time seeing an international artist live.
In an era where songs reach the whole world via streaming, what does a "newcomer selling well in the mainstream" look like live?
I'm really looking forward to this.
18:30 SAKANACTION—A veteran band that has had a major resurgence
SAKANACTION at MOUNTAIN STAGE from 18:30.
They've been a huge topic of conversation lately with "Kaiju" and "Yoru no Odoriko," and since I was able to get into their set when I saw them at METROCK a while back, I have high expectations.
However, there is a problem.
SAKANACTION goes until 19:40.
Ado starts at 19:25.
They completely overlap.
Naturally, I will prioritize Ado this time.
Therefore, I plan to leave SAKANACTION midway through and head to the MARINE STAGE early.
I want to stay until the very end, but there's no helping it here.
And finally, it's the end.
19:25 Ado—What will she show us as a headliner?
From 19:25 to 20:55.
Ado will close out the MARINE STAGE on the second day of SUMMER SONIC Tokyo.
Since Ado was announced as a headliner, I've seen various pros and cons.
That's exactly why I'm looking forward to it so much.
What is Ado actually like when she stands on stage as a headliner?
I want to see that for myself on site.
And then there's 'Monstro'.
Today, the day before Summer Sonic, at 8 PM, the live performance video of 'Monstro' from Nissan Stadium will also be released.
Recently, I've been following the play counts and promotions for this song quite closely.
So, apart from the numbers,
being able to confirm how much 'Monstro' can draw in an audience seeing it for the first time in a live setting
is a big deal.
Furthermore, interestingly, Ado is not among the artists scheduled for the WOWOW live stream on August 15th. HANA, BE:FIRST, Hitsujibungaku, ALEX WARREN, and Sakanaction are included in the stream, but Ado is not.
In other words, the only people who can experience tomorrow's 90 minutes in real-time are the audience at the venue.
I think this is an interesting condition in a way.
There won't be a stream comment section either.
You won't be able to judge it just by watching a clipped segment.
The people there will watch and evaluate Ado's entire 90-minute set.
If her appointment as headliner is being criticized, ultimately, the only place to provide an answer is on the stage.
This time, there are 90 minutes.
There is enough time to show the intense Ado, the soulful Ado, the Vocaloid-culture Ado, and the Ado who has fought on the international stage.
I will watch Ado at the end of a day filled with various performances, including HANA, Mulasaki-Ima, BE, Hitsujibungaku, Alex Warren, and Sakanaction.
That is precisely why, rather than just from a fan's perspective,
“Is Ado truly strong enough to stand as the headliner at the end of the day after seeing all these other artists?”
I want to see her with that perspective as well.
What is Ado really capable of?
I want her to show the audience who came to see her as much of her power as possible.
Tomorrow, I am going to find that out.