flows 2026 brings Nujabes Metaphorical Ensemble and The Orb to Ebisu
The fourth edition takes place December 27 at Tokyo’s Ebisu The Garden Hall. One hundred ¥7,000 early-bird tickets go on sale October 26; entry adds an ¥800 drink charge, with more artists to come.
Tokyo’s year-end festival flows has announced its fourth edition for Sunday, December 27, 2026, at Ebisu The Garden Hall, running 2–9pm Japan time. Nujabes Metaphorical Ensemble and The Orb are the first announced acts. Limited early-bird tickets go on sale October 26 at 6pm in Japan, or 5pm in Taiwan.
Nujabes’s music opens up again on stage
Nujabes Metaphorical Ensemble carries forward Nujabes’s music and ideas preserved at Hydeout Productions, bringing live instruments and electronic beats together. Its membership changes between periods, placing emphasis on live improvisation and movement rather than treating the original works as a fixed playlist. For listeners familiar with Nujabes’s interwoven melodies and rhythms, the anticipation concerns how different musicians allow a familiar passage to breathe again.
The Orb brings another strand of electronic-music history. Alex Paterson and The KLF’s Jimmy Cauty began the project in 1988, followed by collaborations across generations that established its place in ambient house and chill-out music. Organizers describe this as its first Japanese live appearance in seven years. Its current work with Michael Rendall and a long-running interest in expansive sound offer context for that return.
Two announced acts are not a complete timetable
Their connection extends beyond relaxation: one reconstructs existing works through instruments and beats, while the other expands through atmosphere, dance music and sonic layers. For an audience spending several hours in one venue, how those live approaches connect may matter more than genre labels. That is a way to understand the announced projects; exact songs, running order and set times remain unannounced.
The DJ area and audience at the 2025 edition, not this year’s event.
More artists will be revealed, so the 2025 lineup should not be carried over into this year. Photographs of a stage, DJ area and busy foyer document the previous edition on December 28, 2025, offering context for the atmosphere. This year’s visuals and arrangements may differ. Separating current artist imagery from last year’s documentation makes the announcement’s confirmed information clearer for first-time visitors.
Official promotional imagery for The Orb in this announcement.Stage documentation from the previous flows on December 28, 2025.
Tickets, drinks and family admission
Early Bird costs ¥7,000, limited to 100. General advance sales move from Category 1 at ¥8,800 to Category 2 at ¥9,800 and Category 3 at ¥11,000 as each allocation sells out. U-23 is also ¥7,000, limited to 100, for people aged 23 or younger on December 27, 2026. These are the announced ticket categories, not evidence of different seating floors. Check the ticket page for the currently available category and price.
The foyer crowd at the December 28, 2025 event.
Entry requires an additional ¥800 drink charge. Re-entry is permitted, with another ¥800 drink charge each time. The official site allows one child of primary-school age or younger to enter free per accompanying guardian and provides a family rest area. No door tickets will be sold if advance sales reach capacity. The venue is at 1-13-2 Mita, Meguro-ku, Tokyo; use the official flows ZAIKO page for tickets. Budget for drinks alongside admission, then await further artists and timings to plan the evening.
