LOUD WOMEN Fest Tokyo × Too Hot to Be Cool brings together two causes in one night: putting women-led and non-binary-led rock front and center on stage, and raising funds for climate action in Southeast Asia.
The two causes
- LOUD WOMEN is a UK feminist non-profit that’s been running festivals since 2015, spotlighting women-led and non-binary-led bands across the UK, Europe, the US, Canada, and now, for the first time, Asia.
- Too Hot to Be Cool is Tokyo’s own rock-for-climate event series, running since April 2024, channeling live music into funding for youth-led environmental NPOs in Southeast Asia.
Together, we’re putting on a night that’s as much about who’s on stage as it is about where the money goes.
The lineup
Selected from hundreds of applications from around the world, 9 women-led and non-binary-led punk and alternative rock bands from Japan, South Korea, the US, the UK and Ireland take the stage for one night only:
- 18Fevers (South Korea): Death Punk Disco pioneers, blending hardcore, post-punk, and hip hop into wild, unpredictable live shows
- Akabane Vulgars on Strong Bypass (Japan): 20-year Tokyo garage punk institution, blending raw blues riffs with punk urgency and fierce independence
- The Daddy Sisters (USA): Glam punk duo inspired by Kiss and Joan Jett, delivering massive sound from just two members
- THE JUNGLES!!! (Japan): “Monster Girls Band” touring the world since 2013, mixing punk, grunge, and ferocious stage presence
- Mikabomb (UK): Grand Royal-signed pop punk veterans, blending garage energy with Japanese pop sensibility since the early 2000s
- Molotov Princess (Japan): Queer feminist punk collective channeling radical politics and liberation into unapologetic punk anthems
- Siam Jem (USA): LA “dream punk” pioneers, blending shoegaze atmosphere with punk attitude and anti-fascist female rage
- Sister Ghost (Ireland): Dark power-pop artist praised by The Guardian and BBC Radio 1 for fearless, visceral songwriting
- Vampire Bats (Japan): Tokyo garage punk trio channeling 1950s rockabilly and psychobilly through a distinctly feminine lens
A night of punk, garage, glam, and everything in between, united by one thing: women leading from the front.
Three of our bands – Mikabomb, 18Fevers, and THE JUNGLES!!! – have played Rebellion Festival in the UK this summer, the world’s largest independent punk festival.
18Fevers | South Korea
Formed in Seoul in 2021 by a mixed crew of Korean and international musicians, 18Fevers coined their own genre, “Death Punk Disco”, half as a joke, before it became a real scene marker in Korea. Chaotic, blood-and-sweat live shows built their reputation fast: within two years they’d crossed continents to play Rebellion Festival, the UK’s biggest punk festival, and were invited back for an even bigger stage the year after. This summer marked their third Rebellion appearance, alongside a growing catalogue of EPs, singles, and international collaborations.
Akabane Vulgars | Japan
Formed in Tokyo in 2005 when bassist Miki recruited her sister Yumi on guitar and vocals, plus her high school friend Kei on drums – chosen simply because Miki figured an athlete would probably make a solid drummer. It worked: the trio has never changed a member since. A slot at SXSW in 2012, won through an open online application, sent them on a two-month, 30-show run from California to New York. Now in their 21st year with the same three, they’re still touring internationally, from the US to Sweden.
The Daddy Sisters | USA
The Daddy Sisters started with a chance meeting at a coffee shop in Bowling Green, Kentucky, when Chick Falcon was looking for a drummer and found Jack Quinn instead. What followed: a glam-punk duo channeling Bowie, Mick Jagger, and the Stooges, built entirely around self-empowerment anthems that are “sexy but not pervy.” Their 2024 debut album “Beast With Two Backs” turned heads locally and beyond, and Falcon’s real-life journey as a trans woman runs through every song, on and off stage.
THE JUNGLES!!! | Japan
Formed in Tokyo in 2013 by veterans of local acts Red Bacteria Vacuum and Gitogito Hustler, THE JUNGLES!!! wear the name “Monster Girls Rock” with pride. Three self-produced albums and stages across the US, South Korea, and Taiwan later, they’re still driven by the same short, sharp, screaming songs that built their reputation. This year brought their first-ever UK tour, headlined by a debut appearance at Rebellion Festival.
Mika Bomb | UK
Mika Handa left Japan for London in 1998 with one goal: start a punk band. She found her guitarist from Beijing, her drummer from North London, and her sound somewhere between Motown, New York punk, and Japanese pop. By 2000, Mika Bomb had signed to the Beastie Boys’ label Grand Royal, and BBC’s Steve Lamacq was calling them “the best band to ever come out of Japan.” After a long hiatus, they’re back on stage in Japan and the UK, Rebellion Festival included.
Molotov Princess | Japan
Tokyo’s Molotov Princess debuted in January 2026 with a fundraiser for Sudan, and hasn’t slowed down since – benefit shows for Palestine, collaborations with queer punk bands from Brazil and Germany, and songs that take aim at genocide, capitalism, and surveillance. Made up of trans, non-binary, and POC musicians, the band channels punk and riot grrrl roots into music built for connection, not just catharsis. Their debut album is expected in October 2026.
Siam Jem | USA
Los Angeles’ Siam Jem call their sound “dream punk” – shoegaze haze wrapped around punk attitude and something closer to hardcore fury. Their anthems take direct aim at homophobia, transphobia, and racism, channeling female rage into anti-fascist statements rather than vague sentiment. They’ve shared stages with Sir Chloe, Levitation Room, and Winona Forever. After a first trip to Japan in 2025, they’re back to join our stage.
Sister Ghost | Ireland
Irish artist Shannon O’Neill built Sister Ghost from scratch – recording alone on an old 8-track before growing it into a full grunge-pop, art-rock trio alongside her Scottish bandmates Nora and Alice. Influenced by Patti Smith, Kate Bush, and Alanis Morrissette, she’s earned praise from The Guardian and BBC Radio 1, while also founding Girls Rock! NI to empower young women musicians in Northern Ireland. Her debut album “Beyond The Water,” produced by 90s veteran Brad Wood, marks her boldest chapter yet.
Vampire Bats | Japan
Vampire Bats is the brainchild of Kyoto-born guitarist YOU, who cut her teeth in earlier bands ASTRO BABYS, Cherry Bomb Candies, and Pink Moon Babies before building something entirely her own: horror-tinged, vampire-themed rock and roll, “mysteriously cool” yet unmistakably fun. They played Too Hot to Be Cool back in 2025, opened for UK psychobilly legends The Meteors, and toured Europe, before welcoming a new member this year. Their debut album “Vampire’s Delight” dropped in July 2026 – a decade-spanning sound distilled into one bloodstained record.
The cause
100% of ticket proceeds go to WildAct Vietnam, a women-founded conservation NGO based in Hanoi, working to protect wildlife and ecosystems across Vietnam.
Our donation will go to WildAct Vietnam’s program empowering women in the field, tackling gender-based violence in the conservation sector and building a network of women leaders in Vietnamese conservation.
Tickets
- Advance: ¥4,000 (Door: ¥5,000)
- Under 27: ¥2,500
- Under 16: ¥1,500
Date & venue
- Saturday 14 November 2026
- Doors 14:30 | Show 15:00–22:00
- Shinjuku MARZ, Tokyo
Our values
No discrimination, no harassment. LOUD WOMEN Fest Tokyo × Too Hot to Be Cool welcomes everyone: all nationalities, all genders, all ages, all backgrounds.
Live music should be a space of respect, inclusion, and freedom for both artists and audience. Come as you are, support a lineup that puts women center stage, and back a cause that matters for everyone on this planet.
Partners and support
Big thanks to Ichigo Bloom, Berlin Party, and Music Bridge Tokyo for promotion and organizational support.
Event organized by the Too Hot to Be Cool and LOUD WOMEN volunteer teams.
Follow us on Instagram for updates about this event and our next ones! @toohottobecool.tokyo / @loudwomen
