Latest news with #summer2024
Japan Times
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Stage dive into summer: Japan's best music festivals, month by month
Last year, I stood shoulder to shoulder with thousands of fans as Okinawan rapper Awich lit up the main stage at Fuji Rock. As a performer she was as dynamic as I'd expected, surprisingly emotional and, of course, the music was amazing. When I think of the summer of '24, I'll remember that set. Japanese summers may be unbelievably hot, but they're also charged with possibility. For me, it's the music festivals that make these next few months bearable, even beautiful. From sultry jazz sets that echo through the city (Blue Note Jazz Festival) to deep-forest raves pulsing under a canopy of stars (rural), Japan's summer music scene is nothing if not atmospheric. There are mountain-backed stages (Ringo Music Fes.), beachside blowouts (Ocean Peoples') and sprawling pop spectacles (Summer Sonic), each offering a different kind of relief from the heat's relentless grip. But spontaneity isn't always rewarded — tickets go fast, hotels faster — and you'll definitely want to remember that SPF 50. This isn't an exhaustive list of everything happening this summer, just a guide to some of the events worth planning around. With luck, one of these stages will leave you with a memory that lingers in your head long after the season ends. Jams for July Kick off your summer at the beach — or pool — with Ocean Peoples' 25 , which takes place July 5 and 6 at Sunset Beach Park in Inage, Chiba Prefecture. Over two days, this pool-and-beach music festival brings together hip-hop, reggae, city pop, funk and more. Expect diverse musical vibes by Japanese acts such as Scha Dara Parr, MFS, Def Tech, Blue Vintage and Rickie-G, plus beats from DJ Hasebe, DJ Kawasaki and DJ Kenta. The vibe is laid-back: swim, dance, dip your toes in the sea, repeat. Next, head back into the city for Inspire Tokyo from July 11 to 13 in Yoyogi Park and various locations around Shibuya. With music, art and local craft markets curated by radio station J‑Wave, this event has both free daytime performances and ticketed headline acts. Highlights? A tribute to Eiichi Ohtaki and Niagara Records' 50th anniversary at Line Cube Shibuya and 'Guru Guru! Power Stage' featuring Tokyo comedy and indie acts like Kagaya and Dow 90000. Classical music performances abound around the country. Though many don't match the grandeur of the big festivals, they sound just as great under the sun and stars. | GETTY IMAGES On July 12 and 13, turn it up with Talking Rock! Fes , a rock-centric two-day bash at Yokohama Arena. With acts like Kana-Boon, 04 Limited Sazabys, Frederic, Yabai T-Shirts Yasan and WurtS, this festival delivers high energy all day long. Escape the city for a four-day electronic retreat at rural , deep in Fukushima Prefecture's lush mountains from July 18 to 21. This techno and house festival set at the secluded Nowhere Camp offers immersive beats from 13 international acts and 26 from across Japan, making for an intimate, nature‑infused rave that's sure to be a serene electronic getaway. Next stop: Join Alive , a rock and pop event in Hokkaido's verdant Iwamizawa Park. Taking place July 19 and 20, it features stage-toppers like Sekai no Owari and Sukima Switch. With its open-air amphitheater and forest backdrop, Join Alive is perfect for those who love talented local artists and indie rock in a relaxed, nature-surrounded setting. Simultaneously, keep your ear tuned to Hida Takayama Jazz Festival , from July 19 and 20 in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture. Around a dozen acts — including groups like Taku & Tommy, Dag Force Band and Your Song Is Good — will perform at various downtown venues. Meanwhile in Osaka, the Osaka Gigantic Music Festival arrives on the scene July 19 and 20 at Expo '70 Commemorative Park. This event packs a punch: With 66 acts in total spanning genres from rock and idol-pop to hardcore, this festival is Osaka's ultimate summer rock experience. Fuji Rock Festival is as much about the great outdoors as it is about music. | JOHAN BROOKS The people you meet in the crowds at Japan's summer concerts can provide some of the best moments. | JOHAN BROOKS End July on the picturesque slopes of Niigata Prefecture with Fuji Rock Festival , one of Japan's 'big four' summer music festivals (Rock in Japan, Rising Sun and Summer Sonic round out the rest). Held at Naeba Ski Resort from July 25 to 27, the country's largest outdoor festival is known for featuring big-name overseas acts, with Fred Again.., Vulfpeck and Vampire Weekend heading up this year's lineup. At stages spread out across the ski resort, a wealth of acts including Tycho, Suchmos, Four Tet, Haim, OK Go, Sambo Master, MiyaVi and more are scheduled to perform. What makes Fuji Rock special? Its beautiful mountain setting and a family-friendly vibe that makes it feel like its own mini mountain town — just with better music. August's heavy hitters The indoor event New Horizon Fest may be a welcome change of pace, come August. From Aug. 2 and 3 at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba, this festival blends rock, J‑pop, hip‑hop, EDM — and even some anime-adjacent acts. Organizers promise over 30 artists across two full days, including 04 Limited Sazabys, Age Factory, 10-Feet and Crossfaith at the top of the lineup. From Aug. 9 to 11, take in the carnival vibe at LuckyFes' 25 , billed as Asia's biggest theme-park-style music event. Hosted by LuckyFM at Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki Prefecture, the festival offers amusements, seaside strolls and family-friendly fun by the ocean. Performers include Atarashii Gakko!, m-flo, Mazzel, ＝Love, Masayoshi Oishi, Kreva, Shonan no Kaze and Mamoru Miyano. Meanwhile, over at Saitama Super Arena, Cannonball careens onto the scene Aug. 10 and 11 as one of the hottest new entries to Japan's summer calendar. This brand-new event leans rock, pop and alternative, featuring popular groups like Creep Hyp, SixTones, Be:First and Hitsujibungaku. The streaming service U‑Next steps into the festival game at Expo 2025 Osaka from Aug 12 to 17 with a six-day curated experience. U‑Next Music Fes is where anime meets rock meets idol-pop. The good thing is, even if you can't make it to the expo, the performances will be streamed online so you never have to leave your home (and air conditioning) to enjoy the show. Fans cheer at a previous Summer Sonic festival, which is held concurrently in the vicinity of Osaka and Tokyo. | JAMES HADFIELD Jazz shows can prove to be just as sultry as the weather in the next few months. | GETTY IMAGES Then comes Summer Sonic , running Aug. 16 and 17 in Tokyo (held in neighboring Chiba) and Osaka concurrently. One of Japan's biggest international festivals, the event will feature acts such as Fall Out Boy, Alicia Keys, The Prodigy, J Balvin, Babymetal, aespa, Beabadoobe, Porter Robinson, NiziU and many more across rock, pop, EDM and K‑pop. Taking place from Aug. 10 through Sept. 9, classical music lovers can head to the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival in Nagano Prefecture, celebrating the revered maestro who passed away last year and would have turned 90 in 2025. Expect symphonies (Mahler's Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection"), chamber music, opera, street concerts and exhibitions in full view of the Northern Alps. As summer peaks, Rising Sun Rock Festival comes to Ishikari, Hokkaido, Aug. 15 and 16. With traditionally milder weather than other festivals, the experience combines camping under the stars with a youth-driven, high-energy crowd that's there for a lineup of Japanese rock, indie, punk and hip-hop. Winding down in September As summer winds down, Ultra Japan returns to Odaiba's waterfront Ultra Park on Sept. 13 and 14. This year's headliners include Calvin Harris, DJ Snake, Gryffin, Hardwell, Martin Garrix and Slander on the Main Stage. Over at the Resistance Stage are techno DJs Amelie Lens, Adam Beyer, Argy and Korolova. If your ideal summer includes high-energy drops and DJ superstars, this EDM spectacle is the one to hit. Rock in Japan Festival spans the weekends of Sept. 13 and Sept. 20 at Soga Sports Park in Chiba. Expect lauded Japanese acts such as Mrs. Green Apple, Vaundy, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Radwimps and Awich. The event also hosts stars from the world of K-pop like Ive, NiziU and Yuta (from NCT). What sets Rock in Japan apart is its breadth — from alternative rock to idol-pop — and a sprawling outdoor setup that's made for maximum crowd energy. Tokyo Calling celebrates its 10th edition over three days in Shimokitazawa, Shinjuku and Shibuya on Sept. 23, 27 and 28, respectively. With 120 bands slotted into intimate live houses, it's the ultimate chance to discover Tokyo's freshest punk, indie and genre-bending acts. Think of it as a three-night music crawl through some of the capital's liveliest neighborhoods. In addition to plenty of musical events, head out to a fireworks festival to capture the vibe of a true Japanese summer. | GETTY IMAGES Sophistication meets soul at the Blue Note Jazz Festival on Sept. 27 and 28. Held at Ariake Arena in Tokyo's Koto Ward, this is the Japanese sister event to New York's Blue Note Jazz Festival. Though the lineup is still limited, Norah Jones and R&B singer Ne-Yo are slated to headline this immersive jazz weekend. Ringo Music Fes. takes place Sept. 27 and 28 in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture. Set amid the Japanese Alps, the two-day outdoor festival with artisan markets and food stalls blends mountain-air freedom with buzzed-about live acts such as Rhymester, Kid Fresino, Tendre and Wednesday Campanella — a perfect mix of rhythm and retreat for those chasing festival vibes in a scenic mountain haven. Summer in Japan may test your limits — the heat, the crowds, the shinkansen costs — but it also provides moments of euphoria. Ultimately, that's what you take with you. That's the memory that hums, long after the cicadas have gone quiet.
Washington Post
19-06-2025
- General
- Washington Post
A chicken salad tartine with fruit and care on the side
This column comes from the Eat Voraciously newsletter. Sign up here to get one weeknight dinner recipe, tips for substitutions, techniques and more in your inbox Monday through Thursday. In the summer of 2024, I was struggling to make sense of my life as a new mother. Every day was filled with uneasy wonder: How did I get here? What was I doing, and why did this new facet of my life, this ancient human experience, seem impossible? One day, I remember putting my son in his crib for a nap and feeling so grateful that I could now, finally, lie down in bed and stare at the ceiling. I cried with relief, then guilt, then sadness. Eventually, I wiped away the tears, and, because I knew it might make me feel better, I opened a food delivery app and started to order lunch. Moments later, there was a knock at the door. When I opened it, I found a blue-and-white paper plate holding an open-faced chicken salad sandwich with mango on the side. Get the recipe: Chicken Salad Tartines My dear neighbor, a mother of three, had made me lunch. The mango seemed to glow in the dim hallway light, its fragrance mingling with the smell of the pungent, herb-flecked dressing on the chicken. I brought the food back to bed and ate it in blissful silence. Then, I cried again. This time it was out of deep gratitude and love. I rummaged around for my phone to send my neighbor a thank-you note. She had texted: 'Chicken salad with lots of red onion — because I like it that way, and because when you eat a lot of raw onion people leave you the hell alone!!! ❤️ Love you!' Just as no two people are the same, no two pregnancies or birthing experiences are the same. Without sufficient support, any mother's individual experience can be extremely isolating. It was only when I started to notice the care other mothers offered to me and each other that I started to feel like maybe, just maybe, I could do this. For a lot of reasons, I never thought I would become a parent. But here I was, and here, too, I eventually discovered, was a club I now belonged to, one full of generosity and reciprocity, of unspoken care and deep love: motherhood. Inspired by my neighbor's chicken salad sandwich, here's a recipe for Chicken Salad Tartines. There's red onion and cucumber for crunch and flavor, plus tarragon and lots of lemon. Yogurt and mayonnaise keep it light and creamy. I highly recommend fresh, juicy fruit on the side for a burst of sweetness. Get the recipe: Chicken Salad Tartines
Khaleej Times
17-06-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Dubai's summer property boom defies seasonal slowdowns
The sweltering summer months in Dubai are not cooling off the city's red-hot real estate market. In fact, new data confirms that summer has become the busiest time of year for property sales and rentals, overturning old assumptions that the market typically slows down as temperatures rise. According to an in-depth analysis by Bayut, the UAE's leading real estate portal, using data sourced from the Dubai Land Department (DLD), summer 2024 saw the highest volume of real estate activity in the year. A total of 64,596 property sales were registered between June and September — an 18.1 per cent increase over spring and a 38.1 per cent jump compared to the traditionally cooler winter months. On the rental side, 372,337 contracts were recorded, making summer the peak season for tenant activity as well. The trend is not isolated to one summer. The data shows a consistent three-year pattern of rising transactions in the summer season. Property sales during summer 2024 surged 37.7 per cent compared to the same period in 2023, which itself was up 38.5 per cent over 2022. The numbers suggest that the notion of summer being a 'quiet season' for real estate is no longer valid in today's market landscape. This boom, analysts say, is driven by a combination of favourable economic conditions, growing investor confidence, and the increasing use of real-time, tech-enabled tools that make the buying and renting process faster, smarter, and more transparent. 'What was once seen as a seasonal lull has evolved into a key opportunity window for buyers, sellers, and investors. Dubai's real estate landscape continues to rewrite its own rules — and summer has now become the hottest time to make a move,' said V. Sivaprasad, chairman of Condor Developers, a luxury property developer. 'Summer represents a busy and vibrant time for Dubai's property sector,' said Haider Ali Khan, CEO of Bayut. 'What our data confirms is that people are making housing decisions year-round. Tools like our Dubai Transactions platform and TruEstimate valuation engine are empowering users to make better-informed choices. It's no longer about timing the market — it's about being ready with the right information.' 'As summer 2025 begins, all indicators suggest another season of heightened activity. With a record number of new expatriates entering the city — over 100,000 in the first quarter alone — and developers racing to launch new projects to capture surging demand, Dubai's property market is firmly in expansion mode,' Sivaprasad said. Bayut's technology suite includes TruEstimate, an AI-based valuation tool that has already generated more than 300,000 custom reports, allowing buyers and sellers to benchmark pricing accurately. Its Dubai Transactions platform brings verified, government-backed data into the public domain, letting users view transactional trends and price movements at the unit level in any given community. These innovations have coincided with a noticeable behavioural shift: a growing number of residents are transitioning from renting to buying, especially amid continued upward pressure on rents across key locations. According to recent figures from CBRE, average apartment rents in Dubai rose by 21.7 per cent in the year to April 2025, while villa rents climbed by 23.4 per cent. With rents rising and capital values showing sustained growth, more residents are choosing to invest in ownership rather than face repeated increases in rental outgoings. The structural strength of the market is also being reinforced by foreign investor interest, particularly from Europe, India, and China. Dubai's economic resilience, tax-free property environment, high yields, and investor-friendly reforms have made it a magnet for global capital. The city recorded more than Dh430 billion worth of real estate transactions in 2024, up from Dh411 billion in 2023, according to DLD figures. Property market experts said the supply pipeline is struggling to keep up with surging demand. As per Knight Frank's latest UAE property report, available inventory in prime areas remains tight, pushing up prices for both off-plan and ready units. This imbalance has added further urgency among buyers during summer, a time when new project launches often coincide with promotional offers aimed at expats and international buyers. 'Dubai's real estate sector is no longer defined by seasonal cycles,' said an analyst with a property research team. 'It's driven by demographics, data, and investor psychology. With so much transparency and information now available to buyers, decisions are being made at all times of the year.'
Economy ME
17-06-2025
- Business
- Economy ME
Summer real estate boom in Dubai to drive record sales, rentals: Report
Summer is one of the most active seasons for property transactions in Dubai, as revealed by a new report from UAE-based real estate platform Bayut. According to figures from the Dubai Land Department (DLD) , analyzed by Bayut's proprietary systems, summer 2024 (June–September) recorded the highest volume of property sales and rental transactions for the year. There were 64,596 property sales, reflecting a 38.1 percent increase over winter and an 18.1 percent rise compared to spring. Rental activity was equally robust, with a total of 372,337 rental transactions—surpassing all other seasons. These findings are visualized and accessible through Dubai Transactions on Bayut, a real-time analytics tool that enables users to explore transactional trends across communities and time periods. This marks a continuation of a three-year upward trend. Sales during summer 2024 rose by 37.7 percent compared to 2023, which itself had seen a 38.5 percent increase over 2022, demonstrating sustained year-on-year summer growth in both sales and rentals. 'Summer represents a busy and vibrant time for Dubai's property sector,' said Haider Khan, CEO of Bayut. 'Bayut's data paints a very clear picture: buyer and renter interest remains strong year-round, and our tools like Dubai Transactions and TruEstimate™ are enabling smarter, faster decisions. The market is more active, more informed, and more digitally enabled than ever before.' Read more | Dubai real estate: 61,580 new homes expected to be delivered throughout 2025 Growing preference for buying Data-led decisions are driving buyer confidence, the report noted. The summer surge aligns with a broader trend: a growing number of residents are opting to buy rather than rent. With the support of Bayut's suite of data-driven products, users are increasingly equipped to make informed investment choices. TruEstimate™, Bayut's AI-powered property valuation tool, has already generated over 300,000 personalized reports, assisting users in assessing fair value before making commitments. Dubai Transactions delivers government-backed property data directly to users, highlighting recent deal values, price trends, and unit-level activity across neighborhoods. With greater transparency and accessible insights, users are more empowered than ever to enter the market with confidence throughout the year. According to Bayut, downtimes simply do not exist within the modern iteration of Dubai's property sector. The market operates at a singular pace—lightning fast. As summer 2025 approaches, all indicators suggest another season of record-breaking growth.
The Guardian
29-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
The show goes on: how did Broadway achieve a record-breaking season?
Hollywood reporting was recently abuzz that on the heels of record Memorial Day weekend grosses led by the Lilo & Stitch remake and a Mission: Impossible sequel, total summer box office could cross the $4bn mark for only the second time since the Covid disruption of 2020. (The first time was summer 2023, on the strength of Barbenheimer.) To be clear, this wouldn't guarantee an all-time summer record; the numbers would need to get a lot closer to $5bn for that to happen. But something in the $4bn range would be closer to pre-pandemic business as usual, in line with most of the 2010s. Given the struggles so many movie theaters and studios have faced while hoping to find their way back to that old sense of normal, it's surprising to learn that a different and far pricier style of box office record was just shattered. The 2024-2025 Broadway season is ending up as the highest-grossing in history, its $1.89bn surpassing the 2018-2019 season's $1.82bn. Given the specialized nature of Broadway productions – they're less accessible, more expensive, and frankly less physically comfortable than going to the movies, even just within New York City – this seems like a spectacular triumph. What happened? Some of that boost can probably be attributed to the proliferation of starry, limited productions with sky-high prices. But unlike cinemas, which can usually add more showtimes to meet any outsized demand, there are ultimately limits on how much a handful of shows can contribute to the total. George Clooney's Broadway debut in Good Night, and Good Luck recently set an individual weeklong record and has raked in a ton of money. Yet grosses for the final week of the season reflect a far deeper bench than just Clooney, Denzel, and the boys of Glengarry Glen Ross. Other shows playing right around 100% capacity over the holiday weekend include fixtures like Wicked, Hamilton, and The Lion King; relative newcomers to the musical game like Buena Vista Social Club, Just in Time, Death Becomes Her, and Maybe Happy Ending; and straight plays – traditionally considered a less tourist-friendly proposition – like Oh, Mary!, Purpose, and John Proctor Is the Villain. None of those rely on movie stars; relatively few are even based on movies or past productions, in contrast to the heavy dose of IP regurgitation and uninspired revivals that dotted Broadway in years past. (In fact, the splashy and effects-packed Stranger Things companion play seems to be doing less overall business than the original drama starring that show's Sadie Sink.) So is it as simple as Broadway offering an unusual number of good and often original shows – or at least balancing out its revivals with major stars while taking chances on crowd-pleasing originals? Yes and no – specifically, 'no' to the simple part. Some of the record is probably that lucky break of an unusually strong slate, though that doesn't necessarily explain an uptick for a production like The Lion King, which has been on the boards for nearly 30 years at this point. For that matter, anyone with a Disney+ subscription can watch the original cast of Hamilton. Maybe this means scarcity, while powerful in supporting high ticket prices, is less important than it seems. In other words, the movies might have helped, in a roundabout way – not just by donating big-screen star power but with the smash success of Wicked over the 2024 holidays, which may have served to remind less dedicated theatergoers (or out-of-towners who don't have as many chances at a Broadway show) how thrilling it can feel to be in on a cultural phenomenon that isn't a direct remake or a part eight. That's what might hold Hollywood off from a record summer, even if 2025 shapes up to be the strongest one in a while. Lilo, Stitch, and Ethan Hunt have proven that remakes and sequels can still sell, but can they sell on a weekly basis for the next three months? The next summer weekend that's not powered by a sequel and/or reboot of some sort is ... 22 August. There are certainly more eclectic or original choices available before then: Wes Anderson's The Phoenician Scheme, Celine Song's Materialists, and Pixar's Elio in June alone. The 2024-25 Broadway line-up more closely resembles that kind of eclecticism, rather than the metronomic appearance of supposed sure things. There's a kind of trust that the audience can sit for a culturally specific, long, and frankly kind of messy play like Purpose. That doesn't always pay off; plenty of great plays don't do gangbusters business, especially without crucial Tony support. But in its specialized and half-accidental way, Broadway is currently doing a great job of offering material for a variety of demographics. Theater and film will always be an apples-to-oranges comparison – in price, presentation, time commitment, and a host of other elements. But both can be, at their best, habit-forming. Right now, Broadway has the big stars, variety of material, and reliable spectacle that used to keep multiplexes full.
