UPDATE 08/01/21: Music Lane Festival Okinawa 2021 has been postponed until further notice

The coronavirus may have implemented border restrictions in countries all over the world, but music, and the love and celebration that surrounds it, are not getting stopped in their tracks. 

As a testament of that, Okinawa – home to some of today’s successful rock acts such as MONGOL800 and Orange Range – will be bringing to life the Music Lane Festival Okinawa 2021, a Japanese music festival held in both virtual and physical forms. Happening over the third weekend of next year, on 16 and 17 January, the event will be showcasing artist performances, alongside an international music conference called the Trans Asia Music Meeting 2021. 

10 artists had been announced to be part of the first lineup of Music Lane Festival Okinawa 2021. They include the likes of Shonen Knife, an all-girl alternative rock band who will be making their Okinawa debut, Sunny Day Service, a Japanese trio who will be uniting for the first time since 23 years ago, element of the moment, a fast-rising jazz sensation from Okinawa, as well as Takako Tate, ALKDO-Turtle Island Acoustic-, CINEMA dub MONKS, RIKUO, Maltese Rock, Fumitomo Yagi, and TOSH. 

The second announcement, which consists a wave of 18 artists, includes eastern youth, a punk rock trio who last graced the ASYLUM stage in 2018, Miyuki Hatakeyama, member of Double Famous and Port of Notes, Seventeen Years Old And Berlin Wall, a fast-rising shoegaze and dream pop band, in addition to THE BASSONS, THE SAKISHIMA meeting, KACHIMBA 4, Keizou Mikata, HARAHELLS, caino, Home Party People, Funnynoise, AKKANBABYS, Hanako Kimura, abukutatta, SOLVALS, Naomitsu Shinohara, ecole, and viridian.

『Music Lane Festival Okinawa 2021』第二弾出演アーティスト発表！！
eastern youth／畠山美由紀／THE BASSONS／17歳とベルリンの壁／THE SAKISHIMA meeting(新良幸人×下地イサム)／三ヶ田ケイゾウ／KACHIMBA 4 ／caino／Funnynoise／木村華子(続く

詳細は下記からどうぞ🎵https://t.co/DcHsvxYVTr pic.twitter.com/XG50XihYaz

— SakurazakaASYLUM2021 (@sakurazakasylum) December 14, 2020

The third announcement entails 12 acts, namely Hasiken, Tonchi Pickles, Chiemi Jones, Saki Kowan (Shocking Momoiro), 8bit, Milk&Cookie, onoway, Ruki Sato, THE QUESTIONS, VERONICA VERONICO, Kokoro to Kotoba, and Hitomi Shimabukuro.

お待たせしました！
第三弾出演者発表！！🎉

ハシケン／とんちピクルス／ちえみジョーンズ／8bit／onoway／Milk&Cookie／さとうるき／小湾咲貴(shocking桃色)／THE QUESTIONS／こころとことば／シマブクロヒトミ／VERONICA VELONICO

オンラインにて
omnisight／the youhttps://t.co/DcHsvxYVTr pic.twitter.com/mG3wM9Z8oK

— SakurazakaASYLUM2021 (@sakurazakasylum) December 28, 2020

Taking place in different locations, the various performances and programmes will be woven together through live-streaming, which will remain free of charge for international audiences. These venues will also come together with another music festival, Sakurazaka ASYLUM, which has been gracing the scene annually since its inaugural edition in 2007.

Last year, the fifth annual Trans Asia Music Meeting at Sakuraza ASYLUM was attended by the likes of The Bassons, The Sakishima Meeting, and ALKDO from Japan, DeerMX, a Mexican band based in Hong Kong, on top of Goonam from Korea and PYRA from Thailand. 

Shye, YONLAPA, Cotoba, Syd Hartha, and other regional artists from Singapore, Thailand, Korea, Philippines, and more have been slated to perform for this year. Find out more here.

【SakurazakaASYLUM開催決定！！】
今回は『Music Lane Festival Okinawa 2021』と題して1/16(土)、17(日)の2日間、那覇市と沖縄市での同時開催となります！🎶💃🕺🎶
詳細は下記よりどうぞhttps://t.co/HXQDWIkNln pic.twitter.com/a8SNRAZOFn

— SakurazakaASYLUM2021 (@sakurazakasylum) November 25, 2020

Further information and details of Music Lane Festival Okinawa 2021 will be announced at a later date. Regular tickets are available at ¥4,000 (US$38.44) here. 

Stay tuned to Bandwagon for updates.