Gardena Buddhist Church Obon Festival 2026

View Gardena Buddhist Church Obon →

Gardena Buddhist Church presents its 2026 Obon Festival on Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 2 at 1517 W 166th St, Gardena. Community listings including the Rafu Shimpo 2026 Obon guide describe it as the largest Japanese Obon festival in the South Bay, with bon odori dancing on the street.

Schedule highlights

Both days run 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with:

• Food booths and carnival games from 3:00 p.m.
• Taiko around 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• Bingo from 5:00 p.m.
• Bon odori dancing 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Bon odori practice runs 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. on select evenings July 7–23 per the church Obon page.

Practical planning

The festival is open to the public. Street closures for dancing mean parking fills early in the residential blocks around the temple; plan for a short walk.

Beyond the Obon circuit, Goldscene tracks the pop-culture beats SoCal readers actually argue about: Korean luxury brand ambassadors for fashion roster moves, and our July K-drama premiere list for what to queue after a long festival day.

Gardena Obon opens August for SoCal planners stacking Head in the Clouds (Aug 8), Nisei Week (Aug 15–23), and 626 Night Market (Aug 14–16).

When: August 1–2, 2026 (3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.)
Where: Gardena Buddhist Church, 1517 W 166th St, Gardena, CA

Check gardenabuddhistchurch.org/obon-26 or call (310) 327-9400 for updates.