festival
gb/fˈɛstɪvəl/ us/fˈɛstɪvəl/
A2
English
~ 2500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
event
1
Large public celebration or event
A special public event with music, food, games, or other fun activities, often held once a year.
Usage pattern:
[someone] attends [a festival]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'festival' with 'holiday'. A 'holiday' is a day off work or school, while a 'festival' is an event or series of events.
Synonyms
celebration (A general term for marking a special occasion, can be private or public.)
|
fair (Usually smaller and more local, often with rides and stalls.)
Antonyms
ordinary day (A regular day without special events or celebrations.)
Collocations
music festival
|film festival
|cultural festival
|street festival
|summer festival
Themes
culture
|entertainment
|holidays
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The city hosts a jazz festival every spring.
- We bought tickets for the film festival next month.
- The harvest festival attracts visitors from all over the region.
- She volunteers at the local arts festival each year.
- The summer festival includes concerts and food trucks.
Learner examples
- We went to the music festival in the park.
- The town has a big food festival every July.
- I saw many dancers at the cultural festival.
- My friends and I enjoyed the street festival.
Noun
B1
event
2
Period of celebrations or events
A number of days when many events or parties happen for a special reason.
Usage pattern:
[a festival] lasts [time period]
Synonyms
festivities (Refers to the enjoyable events and activities during such a time.)
Antonyms
workweek (A regular period of work without special events.)
Collocations
festival season
|religious festival
|week-long festival
Themes
culture
|holidays
|arts_entertainment
|religion
|time
Examples
- The lantern festival lasts for two weeks.
- During the spring festival, the streets are full of parades.
- The religious festival draws thousands of pilgrims each year.
Learner examples
- The festival lasts for ten days.
- Many people travel home for the spring festival.
- We have no school during the religious festival.
Grammar
Dictionary form
festival
IPA
GB/fˈɛstɪvəl/
US/fˈɛstɪvəl/
Syllables & stress
fest - iv - al (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (fest)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: festival
- Plural: festival, festivals
Word family
Forms
festivals
noun
Core family
festive
adjective B1
festivity
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unfestive
adjective
Advanced or less common
festivalgoer
noun
festively
adverb
Expressions
cultural festival
1/kˈʌlt͡ʃɚəl fˈɛstɪvəl/
fixed phrase
Event celebrating cultural traditions
An event where people show and enjoy music, food, dance, and art from a culture.
Examples
- The cultural festival included traditional dances and crafts.
- We tasted many dishes at the cultural festival.
film festival
1/fˈɪlm fˈɛstɪvəl/
fixed phrase
Event showing multiple films
An event where many movies are shown to the public, often as part of a competition.
Examples
- The film festival will premiere several independent movies.
- She won an award at the international film festival.
music festival
1/mjˈuzɪk fˈɛstɪvəl/
fixed phrase
Event for live music performances
A large event where many musicians or bands play music for the public.
Examples
- We bought tickets for the summer music festival.
- The music festival features artists from around the world.