Festival veterans know that some of the hottest items at Fuji Rock aren’t on stage—they’re behind the bar.One of last year’s most coveted souvenirs was a reusable plastic cup available exclusively at the Gonchan Bar. Demand proved so overwhelming that every cup had sold out by Thursday night, leaving latecomers empty-handed.This year, organizers have come prepared.

For ¥800, festivalgoers can pick up one of the limited-edition cups featuring artwork by festival artist Gonchan. For about the same price, the cup can be filled with the artist’s drink of choice—a Gordon’s Gin and Tonic—making it a souvenir and cocktail in one. The price is comparable to drinks sold at other bars across the festival grounds.

“We’ve tripled the number of cups compared with last year,” said bar manager Ryuya, who also works behind the bar at the Royal Exchange in London. Despite the larger supply, he expects demand to remain high and believes the collectible cups will once again disappear quickly.
If gin isn’t your drink of choice, the bar also pours a lineup of locally brewed craft beers from Jokun Brewing Lab, located just 15 minutes from the festival site.

Master brewer Kotaro Sato said Gonchan’s favorites are the rich Irish Stout and the refreshing Gonchan Lager, a crisp beer with subtle citrus notes.Those beers were another surprise hit last year, selling out early while long lines formed at the bar throughout Friday and Saturday. This year, production has increased by about 30%, but organizers expect demand to be just as strong.

For festivalgoers hoping to score a collectible cup—or simply enjoy a locally brewed pint before it runs dry—the advice is simple: head to Gonchan Bar early. At Fuji Rock, some of the most memorable festival finds don’t last long.