Yokohama City names its pavilion, dates two festivals and maps a direct bus from the waterfront

• Yokohama City held a media event on 29 September 2026, six months before the Expo opens, at THE LIVE in Naka Ward.
• The city named its two exhibits. The building, until now called the “information hub using a building space”, becomes つなぐ横浜館 (Tsunagu Yokohama-kan, roughly “Yokohama pavilion that connects”), and the outdoor “activity hub using a field” becomes つなぐ横浜フィールド (Tsunagu Yokohama Field). No official English names have been given, so these romanised names are ours. The Association handed the building over to the city on 8 September; interior and exterior work follows.
• YOKOHAMA GREEN CHALLENGE WEEK runs across the whole site from Wednesday 26 May to Tuesday 1 June 2027. The four main parts are a parade with costumes and floats made from reused materials, a butterfly-shaped symbol object, music live shows and a “park” with food stalls and workshops. No artists have been named.
• Yokohama 18 Collection, where residents of the city’s 18 wards perform and run food booths, runs from Wednesday 21 to Thursday 29 July 2027 at the Main Event Plaza (provisional name). Applications to perform open on 1 October and close on 28 December 2026; booth applications are planned for 2 November to 28 December.
• Besides the direct buses already planned from Yokohama Station, Shin-Yokohama Station and Haneda Airport, the city plans a direct bus between the venue and the central waterfront. The route shown stops at Sakuragicho Station, the main Minato Mirai hotels, Yokohama Hammerhead, Red Brick Warehouse, BASEGATE Yokohama in Kannai, Rose Hotel Yokohama in Chinatown and Hotel New Grand on Yamashita Park Street. Times, fares and booking are not given.
• The city also announced student “EXPO clubs” at 10 universities and colleges, and a wildlife-recording campaign on the Biome app across the city from 5 October 2026 to 31 March 2027.

Our take

The stops on the waterfront bus route say who it is for. Apart from Sakuragicho Station, every stop is a hotel or a sightseeing spot. The shuttle buses from the four nearest stations carry people who arrive by train; this bus looks meant for people staying in central Yokohama, or for those who spend the morning in Chinatown or at Red Brick Warehouse and head to the Expo afterwards.

For now, though, only the shape of the route is public. As with the departure points the Association listed on 18 September, there is nothing on how many buses run per hour, how long the trip takes, what it costs or where to book. Those numbers will decide whether a hotel in Minato Mirai or Kannai makes sense, compared with taking the Sotetsu Line from Yokohama Station and changing to a shuttle bus. We think it is worth waiting for them before booking a room.

The festival dates are useful already. The parade week is 26 May to 1 June, and the ward performances fill 21 to 29 July.

Tips for visitors

• If you plan to stay in central Yokohama, you can wait for the direct bus timetable and fares before choosing a hotel. Current routes to the venue and shuttle frequencies from each station are in our guide to getting to the venue, and how to pick an area to stay in is in our guide to where to stay. If you land at Haneda, the four ways from the airport to the venue are compared in Haneda Airport to the venue.
• For the parade, aim for 26 May to 1 June 2027; for ward stage shows and local food, 21 to 29 July. Both need an admission ticket and a visit-date reservation.
• Residents of Yokohama who want to perform dance, music or traditional arts on the stage can apply from 1 October to 28 December 2026 on the city’s festival website.