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| ‘GIGA・GIGA SONIC’ and ‘SAMURAI SONIC’ Hit by Fake Contract Fiasco |
Two of Japan’s upcoming autumn music festivals have been thrown into chaos after organisers discovered they’d signed bogus contracts with imposters pretending to represent popular idol acts.
According to official statements, ≠ME and ≒JOY have withdrawn from GIGA・GIGA SONIC, while FRUITS ZIPPER and CUTIE STREET will no longer appear at SAMURAI SONIC. Both events were scheduled for 17–18 October at Makuhari Messe, Chiba.
The event committees revealed they’d arranged appearances through what they thought was a long-trusted agency, only to find out later that the supposed “representatives” had no links whatsoever to the groups’ real managements — Asobi Systems and Yoyogi Animation Academy.
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The situation only came to light after the actual agencies spotted their artists’ names on festival posters and reached out to organisers to clarify that no such agreements had ever been made.
In a statement posted to both festivals’ official websites and Twitter accounts, organisers expressed deep regret and confirmed that the issue stemmed from an intermediary posing as a legitimate contact.
“After announcing the line-ups, we received communication from each agency and found that the contracts had been made with individuals falsely claiming to represent them,” the committee explained.
“These people were not affiliated with Asobi Systems or Yoyogi Animation Academy. We, along with other involved companies, have suffered damages and are cooperating with police while taking appropriate legal measures.”
The organisers admitted they had relied on an agency they’d worked with before and failed to notice the irregularities in time.
They apologised to fans, artists, and industry partners for the confusion and said all other festival performances would continue as planned.
皆様に重要なお知らせです。 pic.twitter.com/O4XWxYkVto
— GIGA･GIGA SONIC (@gigagiga_sonic) October 2, 2025
Fans who bought tickets after the initial line-up announcements (between 28 September and 2 October) and intended to see any of the four affected groups will be eligible for full refunds.
Authorities have been informed and are currently investigating the individuals behind the impersonation.
The organisers said they’ve already sought advice from legal experts and promised stricter verification processes to ensure this type of incident never happens again.
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Meanwhile, all four idol groups have clarified that they had no involvement in the booking talks and were unaware of their alleged participation.
Their schedules, as posted on official websites, contained no mention of either GIGA・GIGA SONIC or SAMURAI SONIC.
Despite the drama, both events will still go ahead later this month with the rest of their original line-ups — minus the fake-booked acts.