When it comes to music festivals in Japan, Fuji Rock is the pretty one, Rock in Japan is the domestic one and Summer Sonic is the crowd pleaser. Past headliners have included acts as diverse as Metallica, Beyonce, Green Day and Stevie Wonder.
In 2018, music's mainstream is all over the place when it comes to genre, so it's good that Summer Sonic tries to cater to everyone: This year's headliners include Beck and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds for the 1990s kids, Chance The Rapper for the hip-hop crowd and Marshmello for all those EDM heads on Sunday. Scroll down the timetable, though, and everything gets represented — metal, spiritual jazz, Latin pop ... Nickelback.
This variety can be found in the Japanese acts lining the bill, too. Summer Sonic has long been more open to domestic acts compared to Fuji Rock — which has put more effort into representing Japan acts as of late (likely because it brings out more locals). Summer Sonic has in turn gone a step further, showcasing bigger J-pop names such as mid-tempo rock bands like Mr. Children and Tokio, and over-the-top idol acts like Momoiro Clover Z and Babymetal. It's as if the Overton window for J-pop at music festivals is sliding further up the Oricon charts.