Nippon Television's major summer music special, "THE MUSIC DAY," will be broadcast again this year. Titled "THE MUSIC DAY 2026," it will be broadcast live for 9 and a half hours starting at 1:30 PM on July 4th. Sho Sakurai will serve as the main host for the 14th consecutive year.
"THE MUSIC DAY" is a major music program on Nippon Television that started in 2013. This year's theme is "A Story of Music," and more than 60 artists are scheduled to perform. The show will be hosted by freelance announcer Shinichi Hatori, comedian Bakarhythm, and Nippon Television announcer Asami Miura, with announcer Rena Ichiki hosting the Next Gate segment.
-- Your enthusiasm for serving as the main host for the 14th consecutive year
With an even longer broadcast time than last year, we are looking forward to bringing you even more music and performances than usual.
This will be our 14th year, and every year we hope that "THE MUSIC DAY" will become a program that marks the beginning of summer. This year, together with a fantastic lineup of artists, we hope to deliver an energetic experience that will make everyone feel like summer has truly begun.
--Regarding this year's theme, "A Story of Music"
I believe that each artist has their own "story" that they have built up through their music and activities.
On the other hand, I believe that viewers who listen to music also have their own memories and stories, such as, "This is what happened when I was listening to this song." I hope that this program can become a bridge between the stories that the artists deliver and the stories of the viewers themselves.
--About the song that became a turning point
It was Shibugaki-tai's "Sushi Kui Nee!". It was the first song I danced to on TV. At the time, I hadn't told my school about my entertainment activities yet, and I made a really strange request to the company, thinking about it now, saying, "Please let me dance somewhere where the camera won't see me" (laughs). I remember dancing at the far right back corner of the screen, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.
Afterwards, I made sure to tell my school about it before it aired, but it remains a very memorable experience for me as "the first song I danced to on television."
-- A message to our viewers
This year's live broadcast will be longer than usual, lasting 9 and a half hours, and will feature artists from a wide range of generations.
Of course, I'd be happy if you watched the whole thing, but I think it's a show that you can enjoy no matter when you start watching. I hope you can enjoy the live feeling of "it's happening right now in Makuhari!" that only a live broadcast can offer, while watching it on TV.
