Forza Horizon 6 Festival Playlist Guide — Week 1 Rewards & How to Get Every Car
Last Updated: May 24, 2026 | Series 1 — Welcome to Japan | Week 1: Summer (May 21–28)
Forza Horizon 6 is finally here, and the Festival Playlist is already live with some seriously tempting reward cars up for grabs. The headline prize this week is the iconic 2008 Mazda Furai — a concept car that never made it to production and sounds like nothing else on four wheels. Here is everything you need to know: all reward cars, every challenge explained, and the fastest way to stack points before the season resets this Thursday.
What is the Forza Horizon 6 Festival Playlist?
The Festival Playlist is Forza Horizon 6’s live service endgame system — and the main reason players keep coming back week after week. Every Thursday, Playground Games refreshes a set of races, PR stunts, photo challenges, treasure hunts, and more across Japan. Complete them, earn Playlist Points, and unlock exclusive reward cars you cannot buy anywhere in the Autoshow.
Series 1 is called Welcome to Japan and runs from May 21 to June 18, 2026. It is split into four weekly seasons: Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Spring. Each season has its own pair of reward cars at 15 and 30 points, plus two larger series-wide prizes at 60 and 120 total points that you can chase across the entire month.
In total, Series 1 offers 10 free cars — the most generous series launch in Forza Horizon history.
How to Unlock the Festival Playlist in FH6
The Festival Playlist does not unlock straight away. Here is what you need to do first:
- Start the game and complete the Horizon Invitational — the opening race sequence that introduces you to Japan
- Earn your Yellow Wristband — this is the first progression milestone in the campaign, roughly 1 hour of gameplay for most players
- Open the pause menu → Campaign → Festival Playlist — it will now be fully active
One important note for new players: there is no Trial event in Series 1. Playground Games deliberately removed it to give players time to earn the Gold Wristband at their own pace without pressure. The Trial returns from Series 2 onward.
All Forza Horizon 6 Festival Playlist Week 1 Reward Cars
Week 1 runs from May 21 to May 28, 2026 and resets at 2:30 PM UTC on Thursday, May 28.
Weekly Season Rewards (Summer — earn by May 28)
- 15 Points: 1999 Toyota Altezza RS200 Z Edition (Rare) — Clean JDM classic, great daily driver
- 30 Points: 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR (Epic) — AWD beast, excellent rally and road use
Series Rewards (earn anytime by June 18)
- 60 Points: 2008 Mazda Furai (Legendary) — The big one — concept car with 450hp 3-rotor Wankel. “Furai” means sound of the wind in Japanese
- 120 Points: 2010 Nissan 370Z (Rare) — Returns after a brief franchise absence. 120 pts = roughly a third of all available series points
⚠️ Important: The 15 and 30-point cars are time-gated to this week only. If you miss them, they will eventually cycle back through the Aftermarket Cars system but there is no guarantee when. The 60 and 120-point cars are available for the full month, so you have until June 18.
All Week 1 Challenges Explained (Summer Season)
There are 12 events available this week. Here is every one broken down:
Weekly Challenge — Gazoo Racer
Use the 2022 Toyota GR86 (one of the three free starter cars from the Horizon Invitational) and complete the challenge across four chapters. Each chapter unlocks the next. This is one of the easiest challenges this week — you already have the required car.
Photo Challenge
Snap a photo of a specific car, location, or scenario using Horizon Promo (hold left on the D-pad). The prompt changes weekly but this week focuses on Japanese road culture. Takes under 5 minutes and hands out easy points.
Treasure Hunt — Ohtani Region
Solve a clue tied to a location in the Ohtani Region of Japan. Head to the area described, find the glowing treasure chest, and smash it. The clue this week involves the coastal roads near the Ohtani viewpoint. Rewards a Wheelspin on completion.
Seasonal Championship — Hot Like Summer
- Class: C-Class 500 PI Retro Hot Hatch
- Format: 3 races across Japan (you do not need to win all three — total points decide the champion)
- Reward: 1989 Toyota MR2
- Best car: 2002 Acura RSX Type S or 2004 Honda Civic Type R
Seasonal Championship — Street Fighter
- Class: A-Class Super Saloon
- Format: 3 races
- Reward: Pagani Huayra R
- Best car: Any tuned A-class sedan up to the 800 PI ceiling
Seasonal Championship — Throwback Throwdown
- Class: B-Class Retro Rally
- Format: 3 mixed-surface races (road and dirt)
- Best car: Any B-class rally build — the Subaru Impreza WRX STI works well here
Time Attack
A timed lap event at A-Class using a specific circuit in Japan. A tuned mid-tier supercar handles the mixed surfaces best. Check the PI requirement before heading in.
Danger Sign
A PR Stunt — hit a specific jump distance in the required car class. Line up your approach from as far back as possible and use a powerful car tuned to the class ceiling for maximum distance.
Monthly Rivals — Soni Circuit
Post a clean lap time at the Soni Circuit using the 2008 Mazda Furai. You do not need to win, just set a valid clean lap. This is worth doing even if you do not yet own the Furai — the game loans you one for the event.
Best Cars to Use for Week 1 Challenges
- C-Class Retro Hot Hatch: 2002 Acura RSX Type S (Lightweight, great handling)
- C-Class Retro Hot Hatch: 2004 Honda Civic Type R (Strong PI ceiling, easy to tune)
- A-Class Time Attack: Ferrari 488 Pista (Excellent on mixed surfaces)
- B-Class Rally: Subaru Impreza WRX STI (AWD, predictable on dirt)
- General A-Class: Any car tuned to 800 PI ceiling (Tune up rather than buying new)
Pro tip from the community: PI placement in FH6 is dynamic. Instead of buying a dedicated car for each event, take a car you already own and tune it up to the class ceiling. A well-tuned B-class car can legally enter A-class events and will often perform better than an untouched A-class car.
Fastest Way to Earn Points This Week
If you want the Mazda Furai (60 pts) and both weekly rewards (30 pts) before Thursday, here is the priority order:
- Seasonal Championships first — each championship rewards the most points per session. Aim to complete all three (Hot Like Summer, Street Fighter, Throwback Throwdown) in your first session.
- Photo Challenge — takes under 5 minutes and gives free playlist points. Always do this first thing.
- Danger Sign and Speed Trap — quick PR Stunts that reward points for a single good run.
- Treasure Hunt — takes 10–15 minutes but rewards a Wheelspin plus playlist points. Worth the detour.
- Monthly Rivals — just post a clean lap. You do not need to be competitive, just finish cleanly.
- Daily Challenges — log in each day and complete the daily task for bonus credits and playlist points.
At this pace, most players can earn 60+ points within 3–4 hours of focused play across two sessions.
The playlist resets every Thursday at 2:30 PM UTC. Set a reminder.
Series 1 Full Schedule — All 4 Weeks
Bookmark this page — we update it every Thursday when the new season goes live.
- Week 1: Summer (May 21 – May 28) — 🟢 Live now
- Week 2: Autumn (May 28 – June 4) — Coming Thursday
- Week 3: Winter (June 4 – June 11) — Coming soon
- Week 4: Spring (June 11 – June 18) — Coming soon
After Series 1 ends on June 18, Series 2: Horizon Decades begins. The Trial event also returns in Series 2 for Gold Wristband holders.
What Happens If You Miss a Week?
Good news: FH6 has significantly reduced FOMO compared to Forza Horizon 5. Here is how the safety nets work:
Series History Rewards — a brand-new system that tracks your lifetime total Festival Playlist points across every series going forward. Exclusive cars can unlock based on your cumulative play over many months, not just one week.
Aftermarket Cars System — missed playlist cars cycle into fixed map locations across Japan where you can purchase them with regular in-game credits. They are not gone forever.
Auction House — other players who earned the cars can list them for auction. Rare cars like the Mazda Furai will be expensive, but they will be available.
The two series-wide rewards (Mazda Furai at 60 pts and Nissan 370Z at 120 pts) are the most forgiving — you have the entire month until June 18 to hit those thresholds.
FAQ
When does the Forza Horizon 6 Festival Playlist reset?
The playlist resets every Thursday at 2:30 PM UTC. Week 1 ends May 28, 2026 at that time.
How do I unlock the Festival Playlist in FH6?
Complete the opening Horizon Invitational and earn your Yellow Wristband. This takes roughly one hour of gameplay. Once unlocked, access it via Pause Menu → Campaign → Festival Playlist.
Can I still get the Mazda Furai if I miss Week 1?
Yes. The Mazda Furai is a Series reward, not a weekly reward — you have until June 18, 2026 to earn 60 total points across any of the four weeks. It is not locked to Week 1 specifically.
What is the Yellow Wristband in Forza Horizon 6?
The Yellow Wristband is your first major progression milestone in the FH6 campaign. Earning it proves you have completed the opening Horizon Festival events and unlocks the Festival Playlist and other online features.
Is Forza Horizon 6 on Game Pass?
Yes. Forza Horizon 6 is available on Xbox Game Pass on day one for Xbox Series X|S and PC. You can download and play it right now if you have an active Game Pass subscription.
We update this guide every Thursday when the new season drops. Bookmark it and check back for Week 2 Autumn rewards coming May 28.
While you wait for the next reset, check out the GTA 6 release date guide and our list of the biggest games releasing in June 2026 on GamerReflex.
