NoMaps 2026: Dates, Theme “GALAPAGOS,” and Volunteer Opportunities for Sapporo’s Cross-Industry Festival
NoMaps 2026, a citywide festival that brings together technology, entertainment, business, and culture, will take place across central Sapporo, Hokkaido, from September 23 to 27, 2026.
Now in its 11th year, the five-day festival has announced “GALAPAGOS” as its main theme for 2026. This article explores the concept behind the theme, the diverse programs that make up one of Japan’s largest cross-industry festivals, and the newly opened volunteer recruitment program that offers participants the opportunity to help deliver the event from behind the scenes rather than simply attend as visitors.
Updated: July 16, 2026
NoMaps 2026: A Citywide Innovation Festival Connecting Diverse Communities
Since its launch in 2016, NoMaps has transformed central Sapporo into a platform for innovation, bringing together people, ideas, and industries to create new opportunities for collaboration. Over the past decade, the festival has grown into one of Hokkaido’s largest cross-sector events. In 2025, it attracted approximately 58,000 visitors across 86 venues throughout the city centre.
For 2026, NoMaps will present talks, live performances, exhibitions, and other programs at approximately 80 venues across Sapporo.
The festival is delivered through an All-Hokkaido collaboration involving local government, private companies, universities, and other educational institutions. Programs are organised into 15 categories, including SOCIAL, WELLNESS, and FOOD, creating opportunities for participants from different industries and backgrounds to connect, exchange ideas, and develop new collaborations.
NoMaps 2025: “The Future of Creativity—The Internet, Hatsune Miku, Hokkaido, and Every Creator”
The Meaning Behind the 2026 Theme: “GALAPAGOS”
The central theme of NoMaps 2026 is “GALAPAGOS.” While the term “Galapagos” is sometimes used to describe technologies or standards that evolve independently from global norms, the organizers draw inspiration from the Galápagos Islands themselves—an environment where geographical isolation enabled diverse forms of life to adapt and evolve in unique ways.
Through this theme, NoMaps 2026 encourages participants to view diversity and local originality not as limitations, but as sources of innovation and creativity.
NoMaps WELLNESS ZUMBA at the Sapporo Ekimae-dori Scramble Crossing
According to Shinichiro Igarashi, General Producer of NoMaps, rapid advances in information technology have made it easier than ever for ideas, products, and services to become standardised and optimised on a global scale. Precisely because of this trend, he believes it is increasingly important to nurture regional cultures, individual passions, and unique perspectives that continue to evolve on their own terms.
Within this vision, Hokkaido is presented as a place that remains connected to the world while cultivating its own distinctive identity—its own form of “Galapagos.”
The festival’s 2026 key visual reflects this concept through the image of an egg, symbolising evolution and the emergence of diverse new possibilities.
15 Program Categories Across Approximately 80 Venues
NoMaps 2026 will present programs across 15 categories at approximately 80 venues throughout central Sapporo.
New categories introduced for 2026 include STARTUP and CAREER, further expanding the festival’s cross-sector program. By exploring venues across the city, visitors can discover new ideas, communities, technologies, and experiences that match their own interests.
NoMaps press release
Turning Urban Spaces into Living Testbeds for Innovation
Beyond conferences, exhibitions, and live performances, NoMaps has established itself as a platform for testing new ideas in real urban environments throughout Sapporo.
For example, in 2025, the festival collaborated with private-sector partners to transform a vacant city-centre site near Sapporo Ekimae-dori into an urban cultural farm, creating a public-private space where agriculture, art, and community activities intersected.
The festival has also hosted experimental evening programs exploring the latest sleep technologies, offering participants immersive experiences designed to encourage natural sleep. Other initiatives have included immersive stage performances combining traditional Japanese puppet theatre with generative AI, demonstrating NoMaps’ commitment to connecting diverse fields through experimentation.
In 2026, the festival will once again use locations across central Sapporo as venues for new social and technological experiments aimed at exploring future possibilities for cities and communities.
Volunteer Staff Help Deliver NoMaps 2026 for an Expected 70,000 Visitors
NoMaps 2026 is expected to welcome approximately 70,000 visitors over its five-day program. To support the operation of the festival, the organizers are recruiting volunteer staff to help deliver one of Hokkaido’s largest innovation events.
Volunteers play an active role behind the scenes, working alongside the organizing team rather than participating solely as attendees. With entrepreneurs, creators, researchers, students, and industry professionals gathering throughout the festival, the program offers an opportunity to contribute directly to the event while engaging with a diverse community.
Hands-On Experience Inside One of Japan’s Leading Innovation Festivals
Joining the NoMaps volunteer team provides practical experience that extends beyond a typical part-time job or event attendance.
Volunteers gain insight into the planning, communications, and day-to-day operations of a large-scale festival while observing how producers, public relations teams, and event staff collaborate to bring the program to life. The experience also offers a valuable opportunity to learn how communities are built and how cross-sector events are organised.
Another key benefit is the opportunity to build lasting professional networks. Through pre-event gatherings and volunteer activities, participants can connect with people from across Sapporo, Hokkaido, and other parts of Japan, regardless of their academic or professional backgrounds.
Volunteers may also have opportunities to interact with startup founders, creators, and other industry leaders participating in the festival, providing valuable exposure to people driving innovation across a wide range of fields.
Volunteering as a Starting Point for Future Opportunities
The relationships built and practical experience gained through volunteering often continue to benefit participants long after the festival concludes. Many volunteers go on to launch new projects with people they meet at NoMaps or take the first steps toward their own personal and professional goals.
The festival also offers an ongoing community that participants can reconnect with in the future, creating lasting relationships beyond the event itself. Beginning in August, volunteers will take part in a series of in-person networking sessions and training programs to prepare for festival operations in September.
By joining the team behind one of Hokkaido’s largest innovation festivals, volunteers gain first-hand experience in large-scale event management while becoming part of a community that encourages new ideas, collaboration, and future opportunities.
Experience NoMaps 2026 in Sapporo
Taking place across Sapporo from September 23 to 27, 2026, NoMaps 2026 will bring together technology, culture, business, entertainment, and local communities under this year’s theme, “GALAPAGOS.” Through public-private collaboration, citywide demonstration projects, and a diverse range of programs, the festival showcases Hokkaido’s distinctive approach to innovation and creativity.
For those interested in experiencing the festival from behind the scenes, joining the volunteer team provides an opportunity to contribute directly to the delivery of the event while gaining practical experience and expanding professional networks. Working alongside fellow volunteers, organizers, entrepreneurs, creators, and researchers offers valuable insight into how large-scale innovation festivals are planned and delivered.
NoMaps2026 https://no-maps.jp/2026
NoMaps https://no-maps.jp/
