UTAH TAIKO EXPERIENCE 2026

A Season of Sharing

The Utah Taiko Experience is built on one core idea: sharing all things positive. We share this wonderful art form and our love of taiko with the local community, the locals here share their wonderful community and the stunning landscapes with us, and we all share 10 days of friendship and exploration in the mountains.

As we open registration for 2026, I want to be direct about the updates we’ve made and why your involvement is so critical this year.

Our New Hub: The Palisade Taiko Lodge

We are shifting our primary housing to the Palisade Taiko Lodge. This move is about creating a central space where we can actually spend time together outside of practice. It sits on 6 private acres and gives us a place to relax, and build those connections that make this event what it is. The Utah Taiko Arts Foundation is subsidizing the cost of the lodge to keep your registration fees as low as possible. We want the "sharing" to start with accessibility.

Why We Need Your Help

This year marks a major turning point for the Utah Taiko Experience. We have officially moved the event under the UTAIKO Arts Foundation, our 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

The reason for this change is simple: we want to do more for our taiko community. By running UTE as a nonprofit, we can apply for grants and solicit tax-deductible donations to subsidize the costs, keeping this experience financially accessible to more people.

Transitioning to this model is a significant risk that I personally decided to take this year. Planning UTE requires over 700 hours of volunteer work, and without established sponsorships yet, I am personally bridging the financial gap so that we can lower our registration cost while upgrading the entire experience (accommodation this year is FREE for early bird registrants)!

I’ve taken this plunge because I know what we’re building here is amazing. I know how much good we can accomplish! But for this new model to work and for UTE to be sustainable long-term, we need to get everyone on board. We need to find the partners and sponsors who believe in this vision as much as we do. If you know a business or an individual who wants to help us anchor this foundation and support this community, please share our Sponsorship Page. Together, we can make this the start of something even better and more beneficial!

New Instructors & Content

We have a heavy-hitting lineup joining us for the first time:

Masa Miyano (LATI): The principal of the Los Angeles Taiko Institute. He is a fantastic player and person, and he’ll be leading our Hachijo sessions for the first half of the event!

Patrick Cruz (Makoto Taiko): Patrick is coming on as my full-time Assistant Director. He’s an amazing instructor from Pasadena who will be teaching Odaiko and Katsugi Okedo.

Rannoch Purcell (Me!): I’ve usually stayed behind the scenes at my own events - largley because running things and teaching is just too much, but this year, I have a fantastic team helping with the event, so I’m taking the plunge! I’ll be teaching workshops on the mechanics of taiko, focusing on playing for longevity and health, as well as leading much of the concert material.

More Nature, More Connection

We’re keeping the favorites like the Hachijo challenge hike and the Nature Jam in the Grotto, but we’re making some changes:

• Moonlight Hot Springs: We’ve dropped the high school demonstration night. Instead, we’re heading to Diamond Fork for a moonlight hike and a soak in the hot springs to relax and enjoy the forest together!

  
  

• Lake & Canyon Time: We’re budgeting more time for paddleboarding and hiking at the lake, and we’ll be spending more time in Box Canyon/Maple Canyon where the photography is incredible and the air stays cool.

  
  

Registration is Saturday

Registration opens this Saturday, Feb 21st at 10:00 AM MST.

The all-inclusive Early Bird spots at the lodge are limited to the first 20 registrations. If you want to be at the center of the experience, make sure you're ready to go Saturday morning.

LINK: FAST TRACK TO REGISTRATION

The Adventure of a Lifetime

Whether you are a returning alum or joining us for the first time, I can’t wait to see you this summer. If you’ve been to UTE before, you are going to be blown away by the changes we’ve made to the housing and the schedule. If you’ve never been, you truly won’t believe the adventure and experience you are in for. It is a one-of-a-kind week that you will absolutely never forget.

Let’s make 2026 our best year yet. See you in the mountains!

Razz