Japan’s largest podcast festival “PODCAST EXPO 2026” draws 12,713 attendees across two days in Tokyo

The inaugural PODCAST EXPO 2026 took place on May 9-10, 2026, bringing together podcasters, listeners, creators, media professionals, and brands at HOME/WORK VILLAGE in Tokyo.

Organized by the PODCAST EXPO Executive Committee (Zatsudan Inc. / Samposha Inc.), the two-day event welcomed 12,713 attendees, making it one of the largest podcast-focused gatherings ever held in Japan.

The event combined three distinct areas into a single festival:

• Podcast Weekend 2026, a free public market featuring podcast creators from across Japan
• P7 – PODCAST SUMMIT 2026, a paid conference focused on the future of podcasting and audio culture
• PODCAST EXPO: EXHIBITION, an interactive exhibition area hosted by major industry partners

The event brought together podcast creators, listeners, and industry professionals from across Japan.

By the Numbers

• 152 podcast programs exhibited
• 63 speakers across 24 sessions
• 22 partner companies participated
• 12,713 attendees over two days
• 9,153 social posts related to the event
• 4.37+ million social impressions

Participating partners included companies such as Spotify Japan, Yamaha Music Japan, Zoom Corporation, Netflix Japan, J-WAVE, and others.

Unlike traditional conferences or fan conventions, PODCAST EXPO 2026 was designed as a space where creators, listeners, and companies could interact directly without barriers.

At the outdoor “Podcast Weekend” market area, more than 150 podcast creators sold original merchandise, met listeners face-to-face, hosted signing sessions, and built new collaborations.

Meanwhile, “P7 – PODCAST SUMMIT” featured discussions on podcast culture, audio storytelling, creator economies, branded podcasts, and the future of spoken-word media in Japan.

The exhibition area featured photo booths, hands-on audio experiences, and workshops from companies including Spotify, Zoom, and J-WAVE.

“We wanted to create a place where creators, listeners, and people working in podcasting could meet in person,” said the PODCAST EXPO Executive Committee.

“Japan’s podcast scene has been growing rapidly, but there are still not many opportunities for everyone involved in the industry to gather in the same place. PODCAST EXPO 2026 was our first attempt to do that.”