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Snow Miku (event)

SNOW Miku is a series of events held annually in Hokkaido and launched as part of the Sapporo Snow Festival. "SNOW Miku" began as a snow sculpture of a character based on Hatsune Miku that was created for the 61st Sapporo Snow Festival in 2010.
Like Crypton Future Media , the company that planned and developed "Hatsune Miku," is located in Sapporo, Hokkaido. The "SNOW MIKU" festival has been held in Hokkaido every winter since 2010. The main events of the festival are scheduled to coincide with the period of the "Sapporo Snow Festival."

Drawings

Each year, different designs for " Snow Miku " are created, with recent designs created from Piapro's Snow Miku costume contest. The winners of the contest have their artwork used as the basis for the following year's Snow Miku.
Costume themes also vary, ranging from princess to magical girl to snowboarding Miku. Each theme is related in some way to Hokkaido and serves as the basis for each year's competition rules.

Event

Running throughout the Sapporo Snow Festival, the Snow Miku event features merchandise, exhibitions, and live concerts.
Merchandise isn't limited to a single area, and fans will have to travel all over the city to purchase everything. Items on sale include light sticks, T-shirts, and charms. Purchases are strictly limited to five items per purchase. The event is also being held in collaboration with the convenience store chain Family Mart. At Family Mart, fans can purchase special Hatsune Miku food and drinks, as well as plush toys, figures, badges, and other items.
Live concerts typically take place over two days, with morning and evening sessions. Tickets are obtained through a random drawing, and the lucky winners receive a ticket with a serial number. Concert-specific merchandise, such as glow sticks and T-shirts, is available for purchase onsite, and concerts typically last two hours. Photography and video recording are strictly prohibited inside the venue, whether or not the concert has started.
One of the main attractions of the Snow Miku event is the Miku ice sculpture. Since 2010, Miku has been immortalized as an ice sculpture for the duration of the event. Previous sculptures have been vandalized, forcing event staff to hire security guards in subsequent years, although Snow Miku events have generally run smoothly in recent years.
From December of the previous year until the end of March, a special tram is decorated with Snow Miku. Since only one tram is decorated, its schedule is made public so fans can ride it. The design differs each year depending on the costume Snow Miku wears.
A showroom at Sapporo Factory showcases the latest Snow Miku products. Many booths also sell snow-related products, such as visors, snowboards, and sunglasses. Other booths feature technology-based displays, which may include virtual reality headsets or 3D holographic crystals. In previous years, Visa and Mastercard have partnered with Crypton Future Media to allow fans to have their own credit card with a picture of Hatsune Miku on the front.

At MIRAI.ST Café and Kitchen, fans will be able to purchase Hatsune Miku-themed food and drinks, including latte art. Department stores will be decorated with Snow Miku illustrations, and in some cases, theme park attractions will feature Snow Miku-themed rides, such as Ferris wheels.
Arcades around the city also offer Snow Miku figures and plush toys in their UFO Crane machines.

New Chitose Airport

The Snow Miku Sky Town store located in New Chitose Airport offers Hatsune Miku merchandise and items every day, but during the Snow Miku Festival, limited-edition products are available, as well as a small exhibition around the store that details the history of Miku and Snow Miku. The exhibition is free and features artwork from its many creators, in addition to a life-size statue of Snow Miku.

Fan meetings

Since the event takes place in Sapporo, Miku's hometown, many fan meetings are usually held. Some are official, while most are informal. Fans from all over the world are encouraged to meet others who share their love for Miku, and local residents act as tour guides for travelers.
Meetings are usually organized through social media services such as Twipla.