Forza Horizon 6 Seasonal Events & Festival Playlist Guide: How It Works, Rewards & Tips

TL;DR

• The Festival Playlist is FH6’s live service system — new seasonal challenges and reward cars every week.
• It unlocks after earning your first Wristband, which takes roughly one hour of gameplay.
• Each Series lasts four weeks and follows Summer → Autumn → Winter → Spring seasons.
• Two reward cars are available each week. Two more unlock at specific total Series Point thresholds.
• Series 1: Welcome to Japan runs from May 21 to June 18, 2026 and offers 10 free cars.
• New Series History Rewards mean missed cars are no longer gone forever — less FOMO than FH5.
• Missed playlist cars also cycle back into the game through the Aftermarket Cars system.

What Is the Festival Playlist in Forza Horizon 6?

The Festival Playlist is the backbone of Forza Horizon 6’s post-launch content. Every week, Playground Games adds a fresh set of challenges, races, stunts, and photo tasks to the game. Complete them and you earn points. Earn enough points and you unlock exclusive cars that cannot be bought from the Autoshow.

It is the system that keeps the game alive long after you finish the campaign. New events every seven days mean there is always something to chase, and the reward cars are often iconic JDM machines you cannot get anywhere else in the game.

The Festival Playlist works by giving you various different events like races, stunts, and challenges to complete, which in turn award you points that unlock new cars for you, as well as other items like avatar cosmetics and car customization options.

If you are brand new to FH6, start with our Beginner’s Guide from Tourist to Legend before diving into the playlist. And you can grab the game on Forza.net, Steam, PlayStation, or Xbox.

How to Unlock the Festival Playlist

The Festival Playlist does not open immediately when you start the game. It is unlocked once you have earned your first Wristband at the Horizon Festival, which can be achieved during the first few hours of gameplay.

In practice, this means completing the Horizon Qualifiers and the Horizon Invitational — two short introductory events that take less than an hour to clear. Once your first Wristband is in hand, the playlist opens and stays open permanently, even after you finish the main story.

Players who have purchased the Premium Edition will have a few more days to explore Japan before the live seasonal content starts. This is because the actual playlist content — the seasonal challenges and reward cars — only activates on its scheduled start date, regardless of when you first unlock it.

How the Festival Playlist Structure Works

Series and Seasons

Series are month-long content cycles for Forza Horizon 6’s Festival Playlist. Each Series introduces a themed reward set, weekly seasonal rotations, and any DLC or Car Pass drops that release during the cycle. Each Series runs roughly four weeks, divided into four week-long seasons — Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring.

Every season lasts exactly seven days. When the week ends, the season flips to the next one and a new set of challenges replaces the old. The reward cars for that specific season are also gone unless they return in a future series.

Series Points and Point Thresholds

Everything in the playlist earns you Series Points (PTS). Every challenge you complete adds to your total. The cars you can unlock are tied to specific point thresholds.

Most weekly reward cars sit at 20 or 40 PTS. These are very achievable in a single week — completing a handful of races, a PR stunt or two, and a photo challenge is usually enough to clear both thresholds comfortably.

The series-wide reward cars require points accumulated across the full four weeks. These have higher thresholds and reward consistent play throughout the entire series rather than just showing up for one week.

Two Cars Per Week, Two Cars Per Series

There are two reward cars each week or in-game season, plus two more that count the points through all four weeks, making a total of ten cars to earn each month or series.

This structure means you should plan your playlist engagement across the whole month, not just one big push at the start. If you only play heavily in one week and skip the others, you will miss the series-wide cars that need sustained points.

What Types of Challenges Are in the Festival Playlist?

The playlist mixes several different challenge types each week. Here is what you can expect to see:

Seasonal Championships

These are multi-race events run against AI Drivatars. They usually have a specific car class or manufacturer restriction. Winning the championship earns you points and sometimes a bonus reward on top.

PR Stunts

Speed traps, speed zones, drift zones, danger signs, and trailblazers all count as PR stunts. Each seasonal playlist includes a few stunt targets with specific score requirements. These are usually quick to complete if you have the right car for the job.

Photo Challenges

A specific car or location will be named, and you need to photograph it using Horizon Promo. These are among the fastest and easiest playlist challenges to knock out.

Horizon Adventures

These are themed seasonal challenges tied to exploring Japan’s open world. They might involve completing certain event types, finding specific locations, or driving particular roads. They vary each week and often reward exploration alongside points.

The Trial (From Series 2 Onward)

The Trial is a matchmade co-operative championship against Unbeatable AI Drivatars. It is one of the most challenging and rewarding playlist activities. Playground Games made the decision not to include any Trial events in Series 1 to avoid placing any pressure on players to rush through earning the final Wristband in the game. It returns from Series 2 onward for those who have earned the Gold Wristband.

Stunt Party and Horizon Arcade

Some seasonal challenges are tied to multiplayer events. Stunt Party — the renamed version of Forzathon Live — and Horizon Arcade activities can count toward playlist progress in certain weeks. For a full breakdown of how these work, check our Forza Horizon 6 Horizon Arcade Guide.

Series 1: Welcome to Japan — Full Schedule and All Reward Cars

The Welcome to Japan Festival Playlist begins on May 21, 2026. The playlist runs from May 21 until June 18, 2026, and then Series 2: Horizon Decades will launch next.

This playlist celebrates Japanese automotive culture, featuring iconic vehicles from Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Subaru, Mazda, and Mitsubishi.

Series-Wide Reward Cars (Earn Across All Four Weeks)

• 2008 Mazda Furai — Earn 60 PTS during the full Welcome to Japan series. Powered by a modified 450-horsepower 20B 3-rotor Wankel engine, the Furai — meaning “sound of the wind” — returns from Forza Motorsport but makes its Forza Horizon debut here.
• 2010 Nissan 370Z — Earn 120 PTS during the full series. The 120-point requirement for the Nissan 370Z is the only one that demands consistent play across the full series.

Summer Season (May 21 – May 28)

• 1999 Toyota Altezza RS200 Z EDITION — Earn 20 PTS during Summer
• 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR — Earn 40 PTS during Summer

Autumn Season (May 28 – June 4)

• 1997 Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec — Earn 20 PTS during Autumn
• 1991 Honda CR-X SiR — Earn 40 PTS during Autumn

Winter Season (June 4 – June 11)

• 2019 Subaru STI S209 — Earn 20 PTS during Winter
• 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser Arctic Trucks AT37 — Earn 40 PTS during Winter

Spring Season (June 11 – June 18)

• 1996 Toyota Starlet Glanza V — Earn 20 PTS during Spring
• 1974 Toyota Corolla SR5 — Earn 40 PTS during Spring

All 10 cars are from Japanese manufacturers, which fits the Japan setting perfectly. The Lancer Evo and the Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec are two of the most desirable JDM cars in the series — do not miss those weekly windows. For cars that work great in playlist events, see our Best Cars for Every Class guide.

Series 1 Car Pass Drops

Alongside the free playlist cars, Car Pass owners also receive new vehicles each week during Series 1. The Car Pass is included in the Deluxe and Premium Editions and is also sold separately, with 30 total cars added across the game’s first year, one delivered each week.

The first four Car Pass drops during Series 1 are Japan-themed and include a recreation of an iconic JGTC race car, though without the original license and full sponsorship livery. Car Pass cars are added directly to your garage — no point thresholds needed.

Series History Rewards: The New Anti-FOMO System

One of the biggest complaints about Forza Horizon 5’s playlist was the FOMO problem. Miss a week, lose the car forever. FH6 has directly addressed this.

Series History Rewards include exclusive cars that are unlocked based on the lifetime Playlist Points you have obtained from playing the game. This means that as you keep earning points across multiple series over time, you can unlock certain cars that you previously missed — without being locked to the exact week they were originally offered.

It is a much fairer system. You still need to put in the playtime, but you are no longer punished for missing a single week due to work, travel, or just not being in the mood to play.

Aftermarket Cars: The Second Safety Net for Missed Cars

Series History Rewards are not the only catch-up mechanism. Cars featured in expired weekly playlists will not be locked away indefinitely. Instead, these vehicles will eventually cycle into the game’s new aftermarket car system. Aftermarket vehicle spawn locations are geographically fixed across the map, but the active inventory varies dynamically for each individual player.

This means that if you miss the Lancer Evo IX MR during Summer week, it may eventually show up at an Aftermarket Cars location on the map where you can buy it with regular in-game credits. The Aftermarket inventory is personal to each player and rotates, so the same car will not be there every time you check.

Combined with Series History Rewards and the Auction House, FH6 gives you three separate routes to missed cars. That is a massive improvement over FH5.

How the Auction House Fits In

Even if you miss a playlist car and it has not cycled back into your Aftermarket rotation, other players who earned it may list it for sale on the Auction House. Players can occasionally find and purchase playlist exclusive vehicles through the in-game Auction House if other players choose to list them for sale.

The catch is that high-demand cars sell fast and at high prices. Many players save those cars and later sell them on the Auction House for 10 to 20 million credits each once supply tightens up. The Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec from Autumn and the Mazda Furai are already tipped as high-value flips by the community.

If you are planning to use the Auction House as a backup, make sure you have the credits ready. Our How to Earn Credits Fast guide will help you build up that war chest before prices spike.

How Festival Playlist Connects to Campaign Progression

The Festival Playlist is not just about collecting cars. It also ties directly into how quickly you progress through the game’s main campaign.

Each Horizon Play level you achieve, up to Level 25, grants you Horizon Festival Points towards your next Wristband. Multiplayer modes including the playlist feed into your Horizon Play level, which means consistent playlist engagement helps you unlock Wristbands faster — even if you are primarily an online player who rarely touches solo races.

There is also a Cherry Blossom Badge up for grabs in Series 1. Players can earn a special Cherry Blossom Badge for their in-game profile by completing each type of Festival Playlist activity in Series 1. It is a cosmetic reward but a nice one, especially for players who want to show off Series 1 completion on their profile.

For more on how Wristbands and progression connect, see our Reward Pass Guide.

Tips to Get the Most Out of Every Playlist Week

Do the Low-Point Tasks First

The 20-point cars are always the easiest to reach. Get those locked in during the first day or two of each season. Then you can take your time working toward the 40-point cars for the rest of the week without pressure.

Match Your Car to the Challenge

Many playlist events specify a car class or manufacturer. Keep a varied garage so you are never scrambling to buy a specific car on the spot. Some events require specific car classes, while others might mandate the use of a particular manufacturer or vehicle type. Being prepared saves you time and credits.

Our Best Starter Cars guide and Best Cars for Every Class guide are good references for building out a well-rounded garage.

Spread Your Effort Across All Four Weeks

Spreading your effort evenly across all four seasons is the safest approach rather than trying to bank everything in the final week. If you leave everything to the last season, you risk missing the 120-point Nissan 370Z and running out of time on the weekly cars too.

Do Not Skip the PR Stunts

PR stunts are usually the fastest points in any given week. A well-tuned car can clear a speed zone or drift zone in a single attempt. Each weekly Playlist gives a set of challenges including Seasonal Championships, PR Stunts, and Trials worth about 100,000 to 150,000 credits each time you finish it — plus cars and wheelspins that convert into more credits later. The credit payout alone makes them worth completing, separate from the playlist points.

Use the Auction House as a Backup, Not a First Option

If you miss a weekly car, resist the urge to immediately overpay on the Auction House. Check your Aftermarket Cars locations first — the car may already be available for regular credits. Wait a few weeks after the season ends before spending big at auction, since prices tend to drop slightly once the initial excitement fades before spiking again long-term.

Hold Rare Playlist Cars Before Selling

If you earn a car you do not need and plan to sell it, wait two to four weeks before listing it. Supply drops after the season ends and demand from players who missed it pushes prices up significantly. The Skyline GT-R V-Spec and Mazda Furai in particular are expected to reach very high Auction House values once Series 1 ends.

What Comes After Series 1?

Series 1’s Welcome to Japan is followed by Series 2: Horizon Decades, which kicks off once the full seasonal schedule has been wrapped up. Series 2 introduces its own theme, reward cars, and challenge structure. It is also when The Trial becomes available in the playlist for Gold Wristband holders.

Each new series resets the Series Standing Leaderboards in Horizon Play, giving competitive players a fresh start to climb the rankings. The Aftermarket system will also begin cycling in the expired Series 1 cars for players who missed them during the original windows.

To be ready for higher-class playlist events in later series, work on your Wristband progression now. Our How to Unlock Legend Island guide covers the Gold Wristband path, and our Goliath Race Guide is essential reading once you get there.

Festival Playlist and Car Building

Many playlist reward cars are iconic Japanese performance machines that also happen to be excellent drivers for other content. The Lancer Evo IX MR, Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec, and Subaru STI S209 are all strong candidates for Touge Battles once tuned up. For those events, check our Best Cars for Touge Battles guide.

If you are planning to run off-road events alongside your playlist work, the Toyota Land Cruiser Arctic Trucks AT37 from the Winter season is a very capable off-roader. See what else pairs well with it in our Best Off-Road Cars guide.

And for drivers wanting to try the Touge routes specifically, our individual route guides are here: Hakone Nanamagari, Mt. Haruna, and Bandai Azuma.

Frequently Asked Questions