What's on at Expo '70 Commemorative Park

Including the two weekends when the park shuts to everyone without an event ticket — the thing most guides never mention.

Expo '70 Commemorative Park in Suita runs events all year. Through September it opens in the evening until 22:00 for the Expo Summer Festival, with illuminations around the Tower of the Sun. Two weekends in 2026 are closed to ordinary visitors: 14–16 August for Summer Sonic and 31 October–1 November for KAMIGATA EXPO PARK FES.

🗺 Open the 3D map of Suita

Dates when the park is closed to ordinary visitors

Closed to the public on 14–16 August 2026. During SUMMER SONIC 2026 OSAKA the whole of Expo '70 Commemorative Park can only be entered with a festival ticket. The annual Expo All Pass, multi-visit tickets and ordinary advance park tickets are not valid on those days, and the inside of the Tower of the Sun is not open to the general public. If you are visiting Suita for the park, pick another date.
Closed to the public on 31 October – 1 November 2026. During KAMIGATA EXPO PARK FES 2026 the whole of Expo '70 Commemorative Park can only be entered with a festival ticket. The annual Expo All Pass, multi-visit tickets and ordinary advance park tickets are not valid on those days, and the inside of the Tower of the Sun is not open to the general public. If you are visiting Suita for the park, pick another date.
DatesEventVenueNotes
7 August – 23 September 2026Expo Summer Festival — Illuminight Expo, night market and beer gardenExpo '70 Commemorative ParkIllumination free with park admission. Night market 450 yen in advance, 500 yen on the door.
22–23 August 2026Expo Bharat Fes 2026 Summer (Indian food festival, biryani)Expo '70 Commemorative Park
13 September 2026Mangeki Summer Festival 2026 (Osaka comedy / manzai)Expo '70 Commemorative Park, Omatsuri-hirobaOpens 14:00, starts 16:00.
9–18 October 2026LOHAS Festa Expo 2026 Autumn (about 600 stalls)Expo '70 Commemorative Park, Higashi-no-hiroba500 yen plus park admission. Two runs: 9–12 October and 16–18 October.
12 October 2026Suita Festa 2026 (the city's main festival)Expo '70 Commemorative Park, Omatsuri-hiroba10:00–21:00. The official event site gives 12 October; the prefecture's venue-booking document lists the main day as 10 October. Confirm before travelling.
17–25 October 2026Detective Conan Land 2026LaLaport EXPOCITY
31 October – 1 November 2026KAMIGATA EXPO PARK FES 2026
Park closed to ordinary visitors
Expo '70 Commemorative Park (whole park)Fan-club presale 1-day ticket 16,000 yen. General sale not yet announced.
21 November 2026The Day the Expo Night Sky Becomes Art 2026 (fireworks and 3D drone show)Expo '70 Commemorative Park, Higashi-no-hirobaAll seats reserved, sold by advance lottery. Opens 12:00, starts 19:00. About 15,000 shells, synchronised to music.

Why does the park close on some days?

When a large festival takes over the whole park, the operator restricts entry to festival ticket holders. Crucially, the annual Expo All Pass and ordinary advance tickets stop working on those days, and the Tower of the Sun interior closes to the general public — so a normal park visit is impossible, not merely crowded.

The dates are listed in the warning boxes above. They are taken from the park operator's own notices and from the Tower of the Sun official site. Both were checked on the date at the bottom of this page.

Can I visit the park at night?

Yes, on Expo Summer Festival evenings. The park reopens 17:00–22:00 with the Tower of the Sun lit up, a night market with a beer garden, and a hand-held fireworks area. This is the only time of year the park is open after dark, and it is a genuinely different experience from a daytime visit.
Hours17:00-22:00 (last entry 21:30)
GatesOnly the Central Gate and the Japanese Garden Gate can be used for entry in the evening. The East and West gates close to entry at 16:30.
Tower of the SunExtended to 19:00 on these dates
ParkingOnly the Central and Japanese Garden car parks stay open, last entry 21:30, closing 22:30.
Night market450 yen in advance, 500 yen on the door. Park admission is separate
IlluminationFree to view, but park admission is required

27 evenings in total across July to September; the dates above are the ones still to come. 13 September is the Mangeki Summer Festival comedy event instead, but the illumination still runs that evening. Held in light rain, cancelled in severe weather.

See the park lit up at night on the 3D map →

How do I get there, and what does it cost?

The park is reached only on the Osaka Monorail, which is not a JR line, and admission is 450 yen for high-school age and above with under-15s free. On ordinary days the park is open 9:30–17:00 and closed on Wednesdays.

Full fares, walking times, admission and closing days: getting to Expo Park. Tower of the Sun tickets are a separate reservation: tickets and reservations.

FAQ

Is Expo '70 Commemorative Park ever closed to the public?

Yes. On 14–16 August 2026 (Summer Sonic) and 31 October–1 November 2026 (KAMIGATA EXPO PARK FES) only festival ticket holders may enter. Annual passes and ordinary advance tickets are not valid, and the Tower of the Sun interior is closed to the general public.

Can I see the Tower of the Sun lit up at night?

Yes, on Expo Summer Festival evenings, when the park is open 17:00–22:00 and the tower is illuminated. Viewing the illumination is free but park admission is still required.

What is on at the park in October and November 2026?

LOHAS Festa Expo with about 600 stalls (9–12 and 16–18 October), Suita Festa on 12 October, KAMIGATA EXPO PARK FES on 31 October–1 November which closes the park to other visitors, and a fireworks and drone show on 21 November.

Are the autumn foliage and cosmos festival dates announced?

Not yet. The park's annual schedule page is currently blank and the autumn flower festival dates for 2026 have not been published. We will add them here once they are.

Last verified: 2026-07-31 Event dates and the park-closure notices were read from the park operator's official site, the Tower of the Sun official site and each organiser's own site. Not yet announced and therefore not listed: autumn and winter flower festivals, the winter illumination, KAMIGATA EXPO PARK FES general ticket sales, and whether NIFREL, EXPOCITY and the Osaka Wheel are affected on the closure days.