Fukuoka is a city with a thriving music scene. Noticing that five festivals happened to be concentrated in September, the festival organizers and the City of Fukuoka joined forces in 2014 to launch “Fukuoka Music Month,” with the aim of promoting Fukuoka as a music city both in Japan and abroad. The original participating festivals were Sunset Live (ended in 2024), Nakasu Jazz, Kyushu Gospel Festival (renamed Sing! HAKATA in 2024), FUKUOKA ASIAN PICKS (ended in 2020), and MUSIC CITY TENJIN. They have since been joined by ISLA DE SALSA (from 2024), BAYFES (from 2022), SYNAPSE FESTIVAL (from 2026), and INSPIRATION by SUNSETLIVE (from 2026).

Thanks to more than ten years of continued activity, awareness is growing that “every September is a celebration of music.” As a city that welcomes many visitors, Fukuoka aims to establish this as a new festival alongside Hakata Dontaku and Hakata Gion Yamakasa, and to continue developing as a music city that everyone can enjoy.