130K Attend Fuji Rock As Japan Fest Overcomes Muddy Conditions

Saturday was the most dramatic day owing to the weather, as an unexpected tropical storm made land in the morning and quickly turned the festival site into one large mud puddle. The rivers swelled so quickly that some foot paths had to be closed or diverted, and there was concern about the campgrounds being washed away. 

Though Fuji’s location, in the mountains that stand between the Japan Sea and the Kanto Plain, guarantees a fair amount of rain in the summer, this time it just kept pouring buckets for more than eight hours. Nevertheless, no performances were called off. Sia was the headliner at the Green Stage, which was packed with sodden but seemingly happy campers. 

The only artist who pulled out prior to the festival was the Canadian indie rock quartet Calpurnia, featuring Finn Wolfhard of the Netflix hit “Stranger Things.” There was a chance, however, that Sunday’s headlining gig featuring The Cure might be compromised when the band’s 59-year-old bassist, Simon Gallup, had to pull out. In his stead, the band secured the services of Gallup’s 29-year-old son, Eden, to fill his father’s shoes on short notice. In a statement, the band said, “A serious personal situation affecting our bassist Simon arose after the Paleo Festival show on Thursday, and as a consequence Simon was unable to travel with us to Japan. Very reluctant to disappoint our wonderful Japanese fans, and after much discussion, we decided to go ahead with our Fuji Festival headline on Sunday.

 No specifics have yet been given about the “personal situation,” but Gallup was slated to appear at the band’s Moscow show Aug 3. 

The Chemical Brothers, who have headlined Fuji more than any other act, were the main attraction on Friday night, which may have accounted for the sellout. In addition, the pre-festival party on Thursday night was packed with 15,000 people, all admitted free, as is the custom of the pre-festival, the purpose of which is to thank the surrounding community for their support. The main entertainment at the party was the Red Hot Chili Pipers from Scotland. 

Once again, Asians comprised a substantial portion of the ticket buyers, coming from as far as Indonesia with their families and for the most part staying at off-site accommodations. 

Other highlights of the festival included an extremely emotional set by Janelle Monae, making her first visit to Japan; Thom Yorke’s exuberant show at the White Stage on Friday night; Khruangbin’s packed headlining gig at the Field of Heaven on Sunday; and a slew of Australians other than Sia, including Courtney Barnett, Stella Donnelly, and the first-ever Japan appearance by King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, who limited their usually eclectic repertoire to heavy metal, the perfect choice for Japan. 

On the morning of July 29, festival organizer Smash Corp. announced that next year’s festival would happen Aug. 21-23, a month later than usual, owing to the Tokyo Olympics, which take place at the end of July and the beginning of August. Fuji’s main rival, Summer Sonic, which normally takes place in Tokyo and Osaka in the middle of August, has been canceled for 2020 due to the Olympics.