The Festival Playlist is live in Forza Horizon 6, and Series 1 is themed entirely around Japan. That means every car reward comes from a Japanese manufacturer, and there are 10 vehicles to collect across four weeks of seasonal content. Two are available for the full series run, and the other eight rotate in and out weekly. Miss a week and you miss the car.
When does Series 1 Welcome to Japan start?
Series 1 kicks off on May 21, which means the early access window for Premium Edition owners runs before the Playlist is active. Once it starts, the schedule runs through four seasons in sequence: Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring. After Series 1 wraps on June 18, Series 2: Horizon Decades takes over.
Players who jump in during early access won't have a Playlist to grind yet. The seasonal content doesn't begin until May 21, so use that time to explore Japan and build your garage.
Series 1 season select screen
Full Series 1 season schedule
Each season lasts exactly one week. Here's the complete breakdown of the schedule:
Spring is the last season before the series closes, so if you're planning to take a break, know that you'll be waiting a full month before Spring cycles back around in the regular seasonal rotation.
All 10 car rewards and how to earn them
The Welcome to Japan series offers 10 cars total, all from Japanese manufacturers. Two of them, the 2008 Mazda Furai and the 2010 Nissan 370Z, are available across the entire series and require 60 and 120 points respectively. The other eight are locked to specific seasons.
Mazda Furai reward unlock screen
The Nissan Skyline GT-R V-SPEC and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR are the two cars most players will want to prioritize. Both have strong community demand and won't be easy to acquire outside the Playlist window.
What's the fastest way to earn points each season?
Each season runs for exactly seven days, and the point thresholds are low enough that you don't need to grind constantly. The 40-point seasonal cars require the most effort per week, but even those are manageable if you complete a mix of Playlist events, PR Stunts, and Horizon Adventures during the season window.
The 120-point requirement for the Nissan 370Z is the only one that demands consistent play across the full series. Spreading your effort evenly across all four seasons is the safest approach rather than trying to bank everything in the final week.
Weekly seasonal rewards disappear when that season ends. There's no catch-up mechanic mentioned for Series 1, so if you miss Summer entirely, the Toyota Altezza and Lancer Evo IX MR are gone for that series cycle.
What comes after Series 1?
Once Welcome to Japan wraps on June 18, Series 2: Horizon Decades begins. Playground Games has positioned the Festival Playlist as the backbone of FH6's live-service content, with new themed series rotating in regularly after each four-week cycle.
If you're still getting oriented in Japan, the Forza Horizon 6 beginner's guide covering the Japan map and new features is worth reading before you dive into Playlist events. Knowing the map helps you chain events efficiently without burning time on long drives between objectives.
For everything else the game has to offer outside the Playlist, the full Forza Horizon 6 guide collection covers Barn Finds, Treasure Cars, and more across Japan's nine regions.