Japan’s top orchestra announces new Pokémon and Dragon Quest live concerts
As part of its 100th-anniversary celebration, Japan’s premier orchestra, the NHK Symphony Orchestra, has announced two major video game music concerts for 2026.
The new events are a special “Dragon Quest IV Concert” and a nationwide “Pokémon Classic Concert Tour.”
The NHK Symphony Orchestra, also known as “N-kyō,” is one of the most famous and respected orchestras in Japan.
This new initiative is part of a series of special events to commemorate its centennial anniversary.
The first new event is a concert dedicated to the music of the classic role-playing game, Dragon Quest IV.
The NHK Symphony Orchestra has a long history with the series, as it was the first to record the orchestral version of this specific soundtrack.
The concert will be conducted by Tatsuya Shimono.
The second new event is a collaboration with the Pokémon franchise, which will be celebrating its own 30th anniversary in 2026.
The “NHK Symphony Orchestra x Pokémon Classic Concert Tour” will be a nationwide tour held in four different cities.
The tour will be conducted by Sou Yokoyama.
These two new events are a major and prestigious celebration of the music of two of Japan’s most iconic and globally beloved video game franchises.
The “Dragon Quest IV Concert” is scheduled to be held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre on Friday, the 27th of February, 2026, with other venues to be announced later.
The “Pokémon Classic Concert Tour” is a four-city tour, with performances scheduled for:
- Tokyo: August 21st, 2026, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre.
- Kyoto: August 22nd, 2026, at the Kyoto Concert Hall.
- Osaka: August 23rd, 2026, at The Symphony Hall.
- Fukuoka: August 24th, 2026, at ACROS Fukuoka.
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