Fan Towels: Shapes, Designs, Venue Rules, and Care

Showing a player’s name, moving in time with a song, or wiping away sweat—a fan towel is both a piece of cloth meant for cheering and a practical item you can enjoy using. At the same time, a long, narrow muffler towel (a scarf-like cheering towel common at Japanese concerts and sporting events) and a wider face towel differ in both their proportions and how text is arranged across the fabric.

Using official product photos and documented records as our guide, this article looks closely at the shapes of fan towels, how names and commemorative years are displayed, and what to check before bringing a towel to a game or concert. Just because you were able to wave a towel at one ballpark does not mean you can use it the same way at your next live show.

A Rectangular Towel Carrying an Anniversary Year, Seen in Official Photos

In the US National Football League (NFL), the Pittsburgh Steelers have a famous cheering towel known as the “Terrible Towel.” The official team store’s description for the 50th anniversary edition places its origin at the playoff game against the Baltimore Colts on December 27, 1975, and names Myron Cope as its creator.

In the product photo, the towel’s name is placed in large black lettering across the center of the yellow fabric, while the commemorative “50” and “1975” markings are separated to the left and right. This layout shows that narrow, ribbon-like muffler towels are not the only format suited for cheering; a wider rectangular cloth can also carry bold lettering visible from a distance alongside smaller details meant to be read up close.

According to the product specifications, this towel is made of 100% cotton and measures approximately 25 by 16 inches. Those measurements apply to this particular commemorative edition and do not represent a universal standard across all Terrible Towel releases or Japanese cheering towels. The product description also notes that a portion of the proceeds goes toward supporting the Merakey Allegheny Valley School. Rather than assuming from a label like “charitable item” that 100% of the price is donated, it is important to read the official explanation carefully.

On Music Festival Towels, the Event Name and Lineup Share the Same Surface

The official merchandise guide for Sky Jamboree 2026 (in Japanese) features a face towel printed prominently with the name of the festival.

Here, the festival name and year appear in large type across the center, while the names of the performing artists are grouped together underneath. By setting silhouettes of festivalgoers into the pink background, the towel carries not only text but also imagery that evokes the atmosphere of a live music scene. Even in a wide horizontal photo, the event title and the artist names are printed at noticeably different sizes, which means not every piece of text on the towel will be equally legible from the same distance.

The image above documents an official product from the 2026 event. The advance reservation page for on-site venue pickup (in Japanese) linked from the official website has since closed its ordering window. While archive photos of past merchandise serve as useful references for studying design layouts and sales methods, they should be kept separate from current pricing, stock availability, and pickup rules.

Comparing Muffler Towels and Face Towels by Actual Dimensions

While product names like “muffler towel” and “face towel” give you a rough sense of the overall shape, you still need to check the exact length and width for each individual item. Even when two products share the same category name, their fabric dimensions, edge finishing, thickness, and printing methods are not uniform.

If you plan to drape a towel around your neck, not only the length but also the width and how it sits alongside your bag or coat will matter. If you want to display it on a wall at home, you need to know the exact measurements of the space where you plan to hang it. Instead of deciding based solely on whether the cloth looks big in a promotional photo, match the listed numbers against the actual place where you intend to use it.

Tracing the History of Cheering by Separating Songs, Cloth, and Merchandise

In soccer supporter culture, club-colored scarves and anthems serve as ways for fans to share a collective moment in the stands. Liverpool FC’s official history of its club anthem explains how “You’ll Never Walk Alone” became the signature song at Anfield, tracing it back to the 1963 cover version by Gerry and the Pacemakers and the stadium’s practice of playing popular chart records over the public address system before kickoff.

However, the year a song took root in a stadium, the year supporters began holding up scarves, and the year specific towel merchandise went on sale are three distinct questions. Just because a piece of cloth appears in an old photograph of fans cheering does not mean we can treat that year as the birth of the modern muffler towel. Towel cheering in Japan likewise spans multiple sports and live music scenes, so we should avoid trying to explain every practice through a single point of origin.

Both the 1975 record of the Terrible Towel and the 2026 product photo from a Japanese music festival are primary materials that verify what kind of cloth was used by a specific organization or event. Even when the item is a towel in both cases, the historical record it leaves behind changes depending on whether it carries a team name, an anniversary year, an artist lineup, or club colors.

Records of Anthems and Crowd Scenes

• Verify when and where a song was sung
• Examine what actually appears in photos and video footage
• Do not assume songs and held-up cloth began at the exact same time

Records of Official Merchandise

• Read official documentation from the event or team
• Distinguish product names, years, shapes, and dimensions
• Do not treat an anniversary edition as a universal sizing standard

Source: Compiled by The Oshi Lab from the official sources cited in the article

Matching “Holding Up,” “Waving,” and “Wearing” to the Rules of Each Event

Spreading a towel wide lets people read the lettering, and moving it makes the fabric’s color stand out across a venue. At the same time, holding a towel high overhead can block the view of the people seated behind you, and swinging it in a wide arc can strike neighboring audience members or their belongings. Do not assume that a cheering scene shown in promotional imagery represents an action permitted from your own seat.

Before the show or match begins, review the event’s visitor guidelines to confirm where cheering goods may be used, how high they may be raised, and during which parts of the program they are allowed. If venue staff give additional instructions on the day, follow their guidance. It is equally important not to carry over rules from a previous concert tour or a different sports club assuming they apply everywhere.

Even when you simply drape a towel around your neck or tie it to a bag, pay attention to the risk of it catching on railings or dropping in a crowd. Rather than assuming a particular knot guarantees the towel will never come loose, handle it with care according to how crowded the walkways are and the layout of the facility. Even without raising or swinging a towel during a performance, there are plenty of ways to enjoy it—carrying it with you, displaying it at home, or using it to wipe away sweat.

Checking Venue Entry and Merchandise Pickup Separately Before You Buy

Event tickets, advance merchandise orders, and pickup on the day often involve separate procedures. When looking at a product page for a fan towel, checking the following points in advance will make your preparation much smoother:

• Whether the order ships to your home or requires pickup at a store or venue booth
• The ordering window and the designated pickup dates and times
• What order confirmation details or personal identification are required at pickup
• The exact specifications of your selection, such as size, color, or player name
• Where to direct inquiries regarding order changes, cancellations, or defective items

Placing an order for official merchandise does not automatically grant admission to the venue. Conversely, buying an event ticket does not guarantee that a specific item you want will still be available to purchase. Always read the official sales terms and the venue admission guidelines separately.

One Towel to Wash and Use, Another to Keep as a Memento

When washing or drying a fan towel, always check the care label attached to the product. Because precautions vary depending on deep dyes, embroidery, printed graphics, or fringed edges, no single washing method can be recommended for every towel. When a towel picks up sweat or dirt at an event, care for it according to the instructions provided for that specific item.

If you plan to display a towel on a wall or put it into storage, choose a spot where you can manage exposure to direct sunlight, humidity, and friction against other merchandise. Collecting many towels over time does not mean you have to cram all of them into the same storage bin. Separating the towels you use regularly from the ones you want to preserve as keepsakes—and, if helpful, organizing them alongside photos or notes from the event—makes a collection easier to manage.

Neither the number of towels you own nor how often you hold one up in a venue measures the strength of your support. Some fans treasure a single towel passed down from a friend, others keep using an older edition for years, and many enjoy watching games or concerts without buying a towel at all. Respecting each person’s way of enjoying the event comes first.

1. 01ChooseCheck how names and years are arranged, then read the exact dimensions and material details
2. 02Bring to the VenueConfirm the pickup method alongside where, when, and how the towel may be used inside
3. 03Use and PreserveFollow the product's care label and decide how to wear, display, or store it afterward

Source: Compiled by The Oshi Lab based on the article text

The Oshi Lab Note: Clear Product Photos with Readable Text and Practical Usage Guides

For merchandise planners and event organizers, one option is to provide both a flat photo showing the towel fully spread out and a description or reference photo that makes its scale clear when held in someone’s hands. Going beyond a generic product name to list exact vertical and horizontal measurements—as well as whether the design is printed on one side or both—helps first-time buyers choose with confidence.

When sharing promotional footage of fans cheering with towels, it is also helpful to explain alongside the video when and where those movements are permitted inside the venue. Looking back not only at total units sold, but also at how readable the lettering was from a distance, whether buyers had trouble finding the pickup counter, and what care questions came up afterward allows teams to improve their next round of product photography and item descriptions. Designing what goes onto the fabric and writing clear guidance for the people who will use it are both essential parts of planning a fan towel.

For consultations on merchandise planning and event retail design, contact KAZAORI Co., Ltd. (in Japanese). Related articles: What Is an Oshi Color? / What Are Concert Outfits (Sansen-fuku)? / Oshi Goods Storage Ideas / Guide to Watching Sports Overseas