A Summer Tradition: Rock Festivals! Our PR Team Shares the Appeal of “FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL ’24” with Heineken

Hello! I’m Hayashi from Social Relations Division 2.
This summer was called “the hottest July in 126 years.”

The national average temperature was 2.16°C higher than usual, breaking the record for the second consecutive year following 2023. Many of you may have found it difficult just to go outside in this intense heat.

However, while struggling with the heat, there are also many events that can only be enjoyed in summer, such as fireworks displays and barbecues.

Among these, rock festivals are one of the most iconic summer traditions. Have you ever been to one? This time, as a complete festival beginner, I attended “FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL ’24” (hereafter “Fuji Rock”), one of Japan’s largest outdoor festivals.

This year, Heineken, which I handle PR for, launched their non-alcoholic beer “Heineken 0.0” at Fuji Rock for the first time.

We at SUNNY SIDE UP developed PR strategies to promote this memorable launch of Heineken 0.0. We conducted PR centered on press release distribution that leveraged the story of Heineken being loved as an iconic presence by Fuji Rockers for many years.

In this article, we’ll share “the appeal of enjoying Heineken at festivals” with photos from the venue!

Off to Naeba, the Fuji Rock Venue!

Fuji Rock, held annually in Naeba, Yuzawa Town, Niigata Prefecture, celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. This year, over 200 artists delivered passionate performances during the event, creating tremendous excitement.

The total attendance over four days, including the pre-festival on July 25, reached an impressive 96,000 people. With an increase in international artists visiting Japan, it’s said to be the most globally recognized festival held in Japan.

Without further ado, let me report on a day at Fuji Rock!

About 1 hour and 20 minutes by bullet train from Tokyo, I arrived at Echigo-Yuzawa Station, the nearest station to the venue, Naeba Ski Resort.

I immediately spotted a “Heineken 0.0” advertisement inside the station. From here, I took a shuttle bus to Naeba Ski Resort.

Upon arriving at the venue, I saw people dressed like festival regulars streaming into the venue. The audience was diverse, including groups of festival friends, families, and even visitors from overseas.

Naeba Ski Resort, at an elevation of approximately 1,000 meters, felt much cooler compared to Tokyo. Since the weather at festivals can change quickly, rain gear and sun protection items are essential. I did plenty of research and came prepared!

Five Heineken Booths

First, right after passing through the gate, I discovered the first Heineken booth in the Yellow Cliff area! It featured the blue color of “Heineken 0.0,” the non-alcoholic beer making its Fuji Rock debut. I even saw people picking up non-alcoholic drinks from the morning.

This time, Heineken set up booths at five locations throughout the approximately 4 km venue (Oasis area, two locations in the Green area, White area, and Yellow Cliff).

Although the venue is large, you can reach a nearby booth while enjoying music wherever you walk.

I visited each booth right away!

Oasis Area

Two Green Area Locations

White Stage Area

All booths had long lines as shown in the photos. For those who can’t drink beer all day long, there’s also the option of enjoying “Heineken 0.0” non-alcoholic beer in between.

Having a non-alcoholic beer option allows you to enjoy alcohol without overdoing it, which is great.

At the Heineken booth in the Oasis area near the entrance, Ms. Miyo, Assistant Brand Manager at Heineken Japan, appeared in a cute polo shirt featuring the logo as a highlight!

She graciously posed for photos with a wonderful smile despite the heat.

Music × Heineken

Ice-cold Heineken at Fuji Rock tastes exceptionally delicious.

“Heineken 0.0” is brewed the same way as regular beer, with the alcohol removed afterward using a “dealcoholization process,” so it tastes quite close to beer. Designated drivers and those who want to avoid alcohol during the long festival can toast confidently without worrying about others.

The blue cup in Heineken 0.0 colors looks cool too. (It looks great when photographed alongside the original.)

The large cups filled to the brim are also fantastic.

Heineken footage was playing on the main Green Stage! The time spent drinking Heineken while watching the stage on the lawn in front of the Green Stage is sublime!

Despite being held outdoors for three days, the venue was fresh and clean… I thought that was amazing for a festival and looked into it. Apparently, Fuji Rock is called “the world’s cleanest festival.” Indeed, there were many waste stations throughout the venue with detailed sorting. Furthermore, used paper cups from Heineken and other drinks are recycled into toilet paper for next time.

After finishing our Heineken, we also had our cups collected at boxes located throughout the venue.

Day after day, fully enjoying music and culture to the fullest. I realized that behind this festival, which has been loved and sustained as both ordinary and extraordinary for many years, lies a wonderful connection with sponsor brands like Heineken.

“Festival Food” Is Too Delicious

I also enjoyed “festival food,” another highlight of festivals. Apparently, there are 95 food vendors at Fuji Rock.

Every shop was appealing, and I had a hard time deciding what to eat, but I purchased food that seemed to go well with beer!

I was caught in sudden rain while eating, but even that felt like part of the festival experience to me as a beginner, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

There were also plenty of nature activities unique to Naeba beyond music, such as playing in the river!

Before leaving, I saw beautiful mountains and a vast sky, making it a day where I could feel nature and summer away from the city.

That concludes this Fuji Rock report by a complete festival beginner!

How was it? Festival enthusiasts, please teach me more tips for enjoying it even more.

And Heineken is perfect for the outdoors. When the weather gets a bit cooler in autumn and you’re enjoying camping or BBQ with a large group, I recommend not only the original but also “Heineken 0.0” and the popular 5L keg (barrel) as companions for creating memories with friends and “good times”!

SUNNY DAYS will continue to introduce behind-the-scenes stories of the PR work we handle!
See you in the next article ✏️