Use this as the one current sumo page
Short answer: Grand Sumo tournament dates are published well in advance, but ticket availability, sale buttons, prices, service fees, receiving methods, resale warnings, venue opening times, and accessibility rules can change by tournament. This page is the current-info page for the sumo cluster. The other sumo articles stay evergreen and link back here for live planning details.
Last checked: August 28, 2026. Annual tournament dates below are taken from the Nihon Sumo Kyokai official Grand Tournament Schedule. Current availability and purchase conditions are checked against Ticket Oosumo English. Recheck both official pages before buying tickets or changing travel plans.
Current snapshot as of August 28, 2026
| Topic | Current official signal | What travelers should do |
|---|---|---|
| September 2026 Tokyo | Ticket Oosumo English lists the September Grand Tournament as sold out for all dates, with no same-day ticket sales. | Do not plan around walk-up tickets. Recheck official availability only, or use the sold-out alternatives guide. |
| November 2026 Fukuoka | The Japan Sumo Association schedule lists November 8-22, 2026 at Fukuoka Kokusai Center, with advance tickets from September 19, 2026. | If Fukuoka fits your route, monitor the official ticket page before and after the sale start date. |
| 2027 and 2028 planning | The Japan Sumo Association has published annual Grand Tournament schedules through 2028. | Use the official annual schedule for the date framework, then use Ticket Oosumo for active sales and availability. |
Remaining 2026 Grand Sumo tournaments
| Tournament | Venue | Advance tickets from | Ranking announced | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September Tournament | Kokugikan, Tokyo | August 8, 2026 | August 31, 2026 | September 13-27, 2026 |
| November Tournament | Fukuoka Kokusai Center | September 19, 2026 | October 26, 2026 | November 8-22, 2026 |
These dates are not a ticket guarantee. Tournament status, available seats, detailed rules, prices, and purchase buttons must be confirmed on the current official ticket page.
2027 Grand Sumo tournament schedule
| Tournament | Venue | Advance tickets from | Ranking announced | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January Tournament | Kokugikan, Tokyo | December 5, 2026 | December 21, 2026 | January 10-24, 2027 |
| March Tournament | EDION Arena Osaka | February 6, 2027 | March 1, 2027 | March 14-28, 2027 |
| May Tournament | Kokugikan, Tokyo | April 10, 2027 | April 26, 2027 | May 9-23, 2027 |
| July Tournament | IG Arena, Nagoya | May 15, 2027 | June 28, 2027 | July 11-25, 2027 |
| September Tournament | Kokugikan, Tokyo | August 7, 2027 | August 30, 2027 | September 12-26, 2027 |
| November Tournament | Fukuoka Kokusai Center | September 18, 2027 | November 1, 2027 | November 14-28, 2027 |
2028 Grand Sumo tournament schedule
| Tournament | Venue | Advance tickets from | Ranking announced | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January Tournament | Kokugikan, Tokyo | December 4, 2027 | December 24, 2027 | January 9-23, 2028 |
| March Tournament | EDION Arena Osaka | February 5, 2028 | February 28, 2028 | March 12-26, 2028 |
| May Tournament | Kokugikan, Tokyo | April 8, 2028 | April 24, 2028 | May 14-28, 2028 |
| July Tournament | IG Arena, Nagoya | May 20, 2028 | June 26, 2028 | July 9-23, 2028 |
| September Tournament | Kokugikan, Tokyo | August 5, 2028 | August 28, 2028 | September 10-24, 2028 |
| November Tournament | Fukuoka Kokusai Center | September 16, 2028 | October 30, 2028 | November 12-26, 2028 |
Which official source to use for what
| Question | Use this first | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| When and where are tournaments held? | Japan Sumo Association Grand Tournament Schedule | It is the official annual schedule source and lists venues, sale dates, ranking dates, first days, and final days. |
| Can I buy tickets now? | Ticket Oosumo English | It shows current English sales status, detailed ticket pages, purchase buttons, and sold-out notices. |
| What do seats cost right now? | Current tournament detail page | Prices and fees can vary by venue and tournament, so do not copy old numbers into evergreen articles. |
| How do ticket pickup, email, ID, and payment work? | Ticket Oosumo English help and purchase pages | Those rules can affect overseas visitors even after a ticket is allocated. |
| Are unofficial resale tickets safe? | Japan Sumo Association resale warning | The official warning explains QR-ticket validity and refusal-of-entry risk for unofficial purchases. |
September 2026 Tokyo notes from Ticket Oosumo
The September 2026 tournament detail page is useful as a current example of how much can live outside the annual schedule. It gives Ryogoku Kokugikan opening times, notes that matches start in the morning and usually finish around 6 p.m., and says top-division main matches begin around 2 p.m. It also lists re-entry limits and tournament-specific entry restrictions.
For that September 2026 page, Ticket Oosumo English states that payment is by credit card, a service fee is charged per ticket, tickets are printed at Seven-Eleven in Japan, dates and times are Japan time, lost tickets cannot be used for entry, and purchased tickets cannot be changed or cancelled. These are current page details, not permanent universal rules for every future tournament.
The same page lists September 2026 price examples ranging from chair-seat categories to box-seat categories, with some seats limited to the Japanese Ticket Oosumo route. Use those numbers only as September 2026 reference points. For any later tournament, use the active official detail page before estimating budget.
Seat basics for first-time visitors
| Seat type | What it means | Planning note |
|---|---|---|
| Chair seats | Stadium-style individual seats | Usually the easiest first choice for comfort and mobility. |
| Box seats | Japanese-style floor seating sold around a box concept | Check capacity, shoe rules, cushion seating, and whether the whole box must be purchased. |
| Ringside or special seats | Closer seats when offered | Rules, risk notices, age limits, and sales channels can be stricter. |
| Wheelchair seats | Designated accessible seating when offered | Confirm the current tournament-specific reservation method before buying any other ticket. |
Resale and QR-ticket warnings
Use official channels. The Japan Sumo Association warns that QR-ticket screenshots and printouts are invalid and that tickets bought through unofficial sites can be refused at entry. Ticket Oosumo also warns against prohibited resale or transfer without organizer permission.
If official tickets are sold out, do not treat an unofficial marketplace as a normal backup. Check whether official sales reopen, whether a different date or city works, or whether the better plan is a Ryogoku area day, a museum stop, a provincial tour, or another cultural experience.
Best first-time plan
If your trip includes Tokyo, the January, May, and September tournaments at Kokugikan are the easiest to understand as a first choice, but they can sell quickly. Osaka in March, Nagoya in July, and Fukuoka in November can work beautifully when those cities already fit your route. Do not choose a city only because of sumo unless both the ticket plan and the travel route make sense.
For most first-time visitors, choose one target tournament, check the official sale date in Japan time, decide chair seats or box seats before sales open, and prepare a backup plan. For broader context, start from Sumo in Japan for First-Time Visitors. If tickets are gone, use What To Do If Sumo Tickets Sell Out.
Photo credit
Featured image: Ryogoku Kokugikan Dohyo-matsuri 01 by KQuhen on Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropping or resizing may be applied for site display. This editorial use does not imply endorsement by the photographer, people shown, venue, Japan Sumo Association, Ticket Oosumo, PIA Corporation, or Wikimedia.
Sources
- Nihon Sumo Kyokai: Grand Tournament Schedule
- Nihon Sumo Kyokai: How to Buy
- Ticket Oosumo English
- Ticket Oosumo: September Grand Tournament ticket information
- Ticket Oosumo: Help
- Nihon Sumo Kyokai: Be careful of ticket resale sites
- Wikimedia Commons image file and license record
Editorial disclosure: This is an independent planning guide. It is not affiliated with the Nihon Sumo Kyokai, Ticket Oosumo, PIA Corporation, Ryogoku Kokugikan, venues, wrestlers, spectators, Wikimedia, or the photographer.
