Gardena Buddhist Church Obon Festival 2026

Gardena Buddhist Church presents its 2026 Obon Festival on Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 2 at 1517 W 166th St, Gardena. It is 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.

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

Call (310) 327-9400 for updates.