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Join us on Saturday, March 28 (rain date: Sunday, March 29) at the Sylvan Theater in Washington, DC for Sakura Taiko Fest 2026! The Sakura Taiko Fest, hosted by The Mark H Rooney Taiko School and produced by Miyako Taiko, welcomes taiko groups from across North America for a day of free, family-friendly taiko performances among DC’s famous cherry blossoms. Now in its 12th year, the Sakura Taiko Fest is a celebration of community and Japanese-American cultural traditions.
For more info, please visit: https://www.markhrooney.com/sakura-taiko-fest/
Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1285464916774877/
Sakura Taiko Fest is part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and is sponsored by TaikoVentures and Taiko Community Alliance.
Sakura Taiko Fest 2026 Performers
Each year, we invite community and collegiate taiko groups from across North America to perform at Sakura Taiko Fest. It’s always amazing to see the diversity of taiko styles played today!
aoi Taiko
(Richmond, VA)
aoi Taiko is a mother-daughter taiko group based in Richmond, Virginia. We feel so grateful to our friends who join us as collaborators, coming all the way from Los Angeles, New York City, and even Buenos Aires. We also want to give heartfelt thanks to our local community, family, River City Taiko members, and the dancers of Conflux Dance Theater in Richmond. We’re truly excited to share the power of friendship and connection with the audience and fellow taiko players at Sakura Taiko Fest 2026!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aoi.taiko/
Gendo Taiko
Brown University & Rhode Island School of Design – Providence, RI
Gendo Taiko’s mission is to celebrate the diverse experiences of Asian diasporic performance. Founded in 2004, Gendo Taiko is one of the first collegiate taiko groups on the East Coast, with members from Brown University and Rhode Island School of Design. Gendo has and will continue to engage deeply with community members, sharing the joy of taiko with the greater Providence, New England, and broader taiko community. Gendo Taiko has performed at a variety of community venues, including elementary schools, public parks, and taiko community gatherings. They engage with a diverse range of community members through their annual community workshops, including local high school youth, college students, faculty, and elders, all of which are free or sliding scale payment. Gendo was proud to create a space that brought together taiko professionals, collegiate and community groups, to showcase the diverse array of taiko performance and practices as hosts of the East Coast Taiko Conference in 2017 and 2024.
Website: https://gendotaiko.wordpress.com/about/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gendotaiko
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gendotaiko/
Nen Daiko
Fairfax Station, VA
Nen Daiko is the taiko ensemble of Ekoji Buddhist Temple in Fairfax Station, VA. Since 1994, Nen Daiko has been entertaining audiences throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan area with a repertoire that includes traditional festival songs and more contemporary compositions. Our members are from diverse backgrounds and faiths, joined by our common respect for the art of taiko, the teachings of Buddhist taiko, and our joy and exuberance for the artistic expression of taiko. The group participates in major events like the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Obon celebrations, and other cultural festivals, as well as performing at iconic venues such as the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian, and Wolf Trap. These activities bring people together to experience the power of taiko as a bridge across cultures and faiths, demonstrating how the drumbeat can resonate with individuals regardless of background.
Website: http://nendaiko.weebly.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nendaiko
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nendaiko/
Pittsburgh Taiko
Pittsburgh, PA
Pittsburgh Taiko is a community group dedicated to sharing the art and spirit of taiko with the city of Pittsburgh and beyond. Founded in 2009 in partnership with the Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania and the University of Pittsburgh Asian Studies Center, we have studied, taught, and performed taiko for over 15 years, with an emphasis on educational outreach to local schools and community groups. We welcome everyone in our beginner classes, and many of our performers started learning taiko with us. We hope we can share our love of taiko with you!
Website: https://pittsburghtaiko.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PittsburghTaiko
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pittsburgh.taiko/
River City Taiko
Richmond, VA
River City Taiko is a community ensemble based in Richmond, VA. For over fifteen years, River City Taiko has performed throughout the greater Richmond community at local schools, parks, libraries, museums, concert halls, restaurants and more. Often collaborating with other artistic groups in the area, River City Taiko has not only championed the multi-dimensional celebration of taiko, but has also fostered community building in the hopes of connecting people through music. It is the mission of River City Taiko to educate, inspire, and connect people through taiko, and we are honored to be part of Sakura Taiko Fest.
Website: http://www.rivercitytaiko.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063534969321
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rivercitytaiko/
Yamatai
Cornell University – Ithaca, NY
Yamatai is Cornell University’s taiko drumming team, founded in 2006 with the support of Masataka Kobayashi-sensei of the professional taiko group, Bonten. Since then, they have built a name for themselves with high-energy performances that combine traditional and contemporary pieces, powerful works by Bonten, and original pieces written by their own members. Yamatai seeks to share the art of taiko with new audiences and is always looking for fresh ways to grow as performers and as a group. Whether they are performing around Ithaca or at national events, Yamatai aims to celebrate taiko’s roots while making the art their own.
Website: https://www.yamatai-taiko.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cornelltaiko
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yamatai.taiko/
Performers from The Mark H Rooney Taiko School
Washington, DC
Website: https://www.markhrooney.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarkHTaiko
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markhtaiko/
MHTX – The Mark H Taiko Connection
Founded by Mark H Rooney in 2019, the members of MHTX have well over 100 years of combined taiko experience in the US, Japan and Europe. Whether performing for store openings, casino shows, or cultural events, MHTX seeks to engage and inspire audiences through a shared exploration of a contemporary taiko voice. The group combines traditional taiko rhythms and styles with modern performance & musical sensibilities to truly embody the spirit of “connection.”
Miyako Taiko
Since 2014, Miyako Taiko has brought its upbeat, high-energy taiko to cultural and community events around the DC area. Recent performances include Sakura Matsuri, Takoma Park Fourth of July Parade, Rockville Bubble Tea Festival, Sandy Spring Strawberry Festival, and of course the annual Sakura Taiko Fest. The members of Miyako Taiko come from a variety of backgrounds, bring a wide range of taiko experience to the group, and love to learn, practice, and perform together.
The Mark H Rooney Taiko School – Recreational Taiko Class
This mixed-level class includes students who have been playing taiko for years and some who just started a few weeks ago! The Rec Class opers the opportunity to work on taiko fundamentals, song learning, and (of course) kumidaiko – the special magic that happens when we drum together as a group.
The Mark H Rooney Taiko School – Odaiko Styles Class
This intermediate-level class has been focused on exploring odaiko – a challenging style that defines the very nature of “taiko” for many players around the world. The students in this class have been developing their form and taiko vocabulary while also building their stamina and body awareness.
Sakura Taiko Fest 2026 Schedule
12:00pm Mark H Rooney Taiko School Recreational Taiko Class
12:10pm Mark H Rooney Taiko School Odaiko Styles Class
12:30pm aoi Taiko
1:05pm Yamatai
1:40pm Pittsburgh Taiko
2:05pm DANCE: Tanko Bushi
2:25pm Miyako Taiko
2:55pm MIXED GROUP SONG: Tsumugu
3:10pm River City Taiko
3:45pm Nen Daiko
4:10pm DANCE: Ei Ja Nai Ka
4:25pm Gendo Taiko
5:00pm MHTX – The Mark H Taiko Connection
5:25pm DANCE: Soran-A-GoGo
5:40pm MIXED GROUP FINALE: Shin-en
Sakura Taiko Fest highlights (2025 & 2024) by Heather Mitchell-Buck (licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
Our goal is to make Sakura Taiko Fest accessible to as many people as possible, so we make full video playlists available for free on YouTube.
Sakura Taiko Fest 2025
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMT4Yjw-Bcjfkx9LVup4IW2pGGAPC7oDJ&si=Dy6b6sV46WI5Ek_i
Sakura Taiko Fest 2024
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMT4Yjw-BcjerE9BM6VpRZR1bKqxHmuGz&si=-ex9Rawa7kKE5XLo
Sakura Taiko Fest 2023
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMT4Yjw-BcjeknF02MQmRJ4SX0Vr1CLm8&si=LitC2wQYa5RitrW8
This event is produced by Mark H Rooney.
For additional info, please email Mark at : markh@markhrooney.com
