TL;DR
- Forza Horizon 6 has 7 wristband tiers: Yellow, Green, Blue, Pink, Orange, Purple, and Gold.
- You earn Festival Points by racing, completing PR Stunts, smashing Bonus Boards, and playing online.
- Each tier unlocks higher car classes, new race types, and new events.
- Completing Wristband Events (Showcase or Horizon Rush) is what officially earns each band.
- The Gold Wristband makes you a Horizon Legend and unlocks Legend Island.
- Variety beats grinding — mixing race types earns points faster than repeating one event.
What Is the Wristband Progression System in Forza Horizon 6?
The wristband system is the backbone of the Forza Horizon 6 campaign. It replaces the open-ended structure of earlier games with a clear, structured path. You start as a Tourist with nothing but a festival invite, and you work your way up through seven tiers to become a Horizon Legend.
Each wristband is a color-coded rank. You earn it by accumulating Horizon Festival Points across a wide range of activities, then completing a special Wristband Event that gates the next tier. It is not a level number system. The points bar fills up, a Wristband Event appears on the map, and completing that event is what gives you the band.
This system is a return to the original 2012 Forza Horizon formula. Playground Games brought it back in FH6 specifically to fix one of the biggest complaints about FH5 — progression that felt directionless. Now there is always a clear next step on the board.
If you are just getting started, our FH6 Beginner’s Guide covers the full journey from Tourist to Legend in detail.
All 7 Wristband Tiers in Forza Horizon 6
There are seven Festival Wristbands in total. They go in this order: Yellow, Green, Blue, Pink, Orange, Purple, and Gold. Each tier raises the car class ceiling for official Festival events and unlocks new race series around Japan.
Yellow Wristband – Rookie
This is your entry point. To earn the Yellow Wristband, you complete the Horizon Qualifiers and the Horizon Invitational. These are the intro races that prove you belong on the grid. Together they reward 1,250 Festival Points and unlock the Yellow Rookie Wristband automatically. At this tier, Festival events use D-class and C-class cars — slower machines, but perfect for learning Japan’s tight touge roads and city circuits.
Green Wristband
After accumulating enough Festival Points from races, PR Stunts, and other activities, the Green Wristband Event unlocks. The Green tier’s Wristband Event is called Pier Pressure — a technical time attack course through the Tokyo City Docks using a demanding Ford RS200 Evolution. Green tier events introduce B-class cars and more varied race types.
Blue Wristband
The Blue tier continues to raise the stakes. New race championships open up, and A-class vehicles become part of the official Festival events. This is where the field starts feeling genuinely fast, and tuning your car properly starts to matter more. Check our best cars upgrade and bodykit presets guide to stay competitive at this tier.
Pink Wristband
The Pink Wristband continues the push into higher-performance territory. By this point you are working through dirt racing championships and cross-country series alongside road events. Spreading your activity across race types is key here — points come faster when you branch out rather than grind the same event type repeatedly.
Orange Wristband
The Orange tier opens up S1-class events. These are genuinely quick cars, and the race competition gets sharper. Showcase Events at this stage become more spectacular and challenging. This is a good time to start collecting cars across different classes so you are always ready for whichever event type appears next.
Purple Wristband
The Purple Wristband is a major checkpoint. It is the tier that opens up Hypercar use in curated Festival events. Before this point, you work through lower-class machines, which actually makes the progression feel earned rather than handed to you. Once Purple is yours, S2-class and higher cars enter the picture. If you want to know which hypercars perform best, see our guides on the Koenigsegg Regera, the Pagani Huayra BC, and the Ferrari FXX K Evo.
Gold Wristband – Horizon Legend
The Gold Wristband is the top tier and the most coveted of all seven. You need 32,500 Horizon Festival Points to qualify for the Gold Wristband Event, and winning races alone will not be enough — side activities are essential to hit this number. Earning Gold makes you a Horizon Legend and unlocks access to Legend Island, the game’s gated endgame area. For the full breakdown of what awaits you there, read our Legend Island unlock guide.
How to Earn Horizon Festival Points
Festival Points come from many sources at once. The key principle is that variety beats volume. Your 50th Road Race gives far fewer points toward your next wristband than your first Dirt Race. The game rewards you for trying different activities. If progression feels slow, you are probably grinding one event type instead of branching out.
Activities that earn Horizon Festival Points include:
- Festival Races — Road, Dirt, Cross Country, Time Attack Circuits, Drag Meets, Street Races, and Touge Battles all count. Mix them up.
- PR Stunts — Speed Traps, Speed Zones, Danger Signs, Drift Zones, and Trailblazers are marked in red and white on the map. You do not need three stars on every one — attempting them still earns points.
- Bonus Boards — Each XP Bonus Board you smash adds roughly 30 points to your total. They are scattered across the entire Japan map.
- Championships — Entering full championships gives bulk Festival Points compared to individual races.
- Horizon Play (Online) — Each Horizon Play level you earn, up to Level 25, grants Festival Points directly toward your next Wristband. Online multiplayer feeds directly into your single-player campaign progress.
- Horizon Promo Photos — Photographing cars is worth 10 points each. With over 600 cars in the game, this adds up fast. The efficient method is to drop into photo mode at the start of a race and photograph every car in the grid — multiple photos per race with zero extra time.
For more detailed advice on levelling up quickly, see our XP and level up fast guide and our credits farming guide.
What Are Wristband Events?
Once you fill the Festival Points bar for a tier, a Wristband Event appears on your map. These are not regular races. They come in two forms:
Showcase Events
Spectacular set-piece races that are unique to each wristband tier. One of them features a race against Chaser Zero. These are cinematic, memorable moments designed to feel like a reward for your progress. You race against a giant spectacle — machinery, vehicles, or obstacles that make for a genuinely memorable experience.
Horizon Rush Events
Brand-new timed obstacle courses added in FH6. These are high-speed challenges across locations like the Tokyo City Docks and the Sotoyama Ski Resort. They test precision and timing rather than pure racing skill. Both Showcase and Rush events must be completed — not just attempted — to officially receive your next Wristband.
After completing a Wristband Event for the first time, the Race Customizer unlocks for that specific event, allowing you to replay it with any car from your garage and custom rules.
Wristband Progression and Online Play (Horizon Play)
Horizon Play is the multiplayer side of FH6, and it connects directly to Wristband progress. The modes available include Spec Racing, Touge Showdown, The Eliminator, Hide & Seek, and Custom Racing. Every Horizon Play level you earn, up to Level 25, grants Horizon Festival Points toward your next Wristband. This means online play actively advances your single-player campaign — you do not have to choose between the two. After Level 25 the crossover stops, but Horizon Play continues up to Level 100 with its own badge rewards and leaderboards.
For competitive online racing, see our best cars for Touge Battles and our Touge Battle mode complete guide.
What Does Each Wristband Unlock?
As you progress through the tiers, wristbands open up the following:
- New race types added to the Festival event list
- Higher car class restrictions for official events (D/C → B → A → S1 → S2 → R-class)
- New championship events around Japan
- The Race Customizer for completed events (replay with any car)
- Showcase and Horizon Rush events on the map
- Access to Legend Island upon earning Gold
It is worth noting that car class restrictions only apply to official Festival events. In free roam, you can drive any car you own at any wristband tier. The restrictions exist purely within the structured race events.
To make sure you have the right cars for each tier, see our best cars for every class guide and the full FH6 all cars by class list.
Legend Island: The Gold Wristband Reward
Legend Island is the endgame area of Forza Horizon 6. It sits in the southeast corner of the Japan map and stays completely locked until you earn the Gold Wristband. You cannot fast travel there, drive there early, or find shortcuts to it. The two bridges connecting it to the mainland are blocked until Gold is yours.
Once you arrive, Legend Island includes:
- The Legend Island Circuit — exclusive race events not available anywhere else on the map, built for R-class vehicles
- The Colossus — the longest Goliath race in Horizon history, a freeway loop around the entire Japan map that takes over 10 minutes per lap
- Unique car rewards tied to Legend Island achievements
- XP Bonus Boards scattered across the island that cannot be reached before Gold
- A second Festival Outpost serving the island’s events
For a full guide to the Colossus and Legend Island races, see our Goliath race and Colossus guide.
Wristband Tips to Progress Faster
Mix Your Race Types
The single most important tip. Each new race discipline you try gives disproportionately high points compared to repeating a type you have already done many times. If you have been doing road races all session, switch to a Drag Meet or a Dirt Championship. Even one or two races in a new category can give a significant boost to your Festival Points bar.
Do PR Stunts Early
PR Stunts are marked on the map with red and white icons. Drift Zones are the easiest to clear early because you only need a car that slides, not raw speed. Speed Traps and Danger Signs are better saved for later tiers when you have faster cars. Each stunt attempted gives points even without three stars.
Play Horizon Play Online
The first 25 levels of Horizon Play grant Festival Points. If you enjoy online racing, this is free campaign progression. Play a few Touge Showdowns or Spec Racing events and those levels tick over, feeding directly into your next wristband.
Buy the Yashiki House Early
The Yashiki House in the Hokubu region costs 10,000 CR and comes with the Estate Builder perk. Buying it early unlocks building at the Estate, which is part of the Stamps progression. Stamps unlock Barn Finds and Player Houses. See our all houses locations and perks guide for the full list.
Check the Collection Journal Regularly
Go to Pause → Campaign → Collection Journal to see your combined progress. The journal has tiered credit rewards for milestones like completing 10 road races or discovering five landmarks. Many players forget to claim these payouts. Check it regularly and collect what you have already earned.
Use the Race Customizer
Once you complete a race for the first time, the Race Customizer unlocks for it. This lets you replay the event with any car in your garage, making it easier to attempt harder events with a better-suited vehicle on a second run.
Earn Barn Finds and Treasure Cars
Barn Finds reward rare classic cars that can give you a strong edge in lower-tier events. See our Barn Find locations guide for all of them. Also worth hunting are Treasure Cars like the Ford GT, the Porsche 959, and the Lancia Stratos.
Wristband Progression vs Stamps: What Is the Difference?
Wristbands and Stamps are separate progression systems that run at the same time. Wristbands are tied to the Horizon Festival and structured racing. Stamps are part of Discover Japan and reward exploration, customization, photography, mascot hunting, food deliveries, touge racing, and street races. There are 7 Stamps in total, just like there are 7 Wristbands. Each Stamp you earn unlocks Barn Find Rumors and new homes to buy around Japan. Stamps and Wristband progress are both tracked in the Collection Journal.
For exploration, check our guides on Sky Lanterns locations, the Wakana Yamazaki mural, the Dragon 76 mural, and the Minamino Golf Course location.
Wheelspins and the Wristband System
Wheelspins return in FH6 but with a key change. You can only earn Wheelspins after you have qualified for the Horizon Festival. Playground Games has also rebalanced them — Super Wheelspins are rarer than in previous games, but more rewarding when you do earn them. This was done to protect the integrity of the wristband progression, so you are not skipping the early game experience by spinning into powerful cars before you have earned them.
Where to Play Forza Horizon 6
Forza Horizon 6 is available now on Xbox Series X|S and PC. A PlayStation 5 release is planned for later. You can get the game from the official sources below:
For PC players, check our FH6 PC requirements guide to make sure your system is ready. And if you want to explore the full Japan map before diving into wristband races, our Japan map guide covering all regions and landmarks is a great starting point.
