festival

American  

[fes-tuh-vuhl] / ˈfɛs tə vəl /

noun

1. a day or time of religious or other celebration, marked by feasting, ceremonies, or other observances.

   the festival of Christmas; a Roman festival.

2. a periodic commemoration, anniversary, or celebration.

   an annual strawberry festival.

3. a period or program of festive activities, cultural events, or entertainment.

   a music festival.

4. gaiety; revelry; merrymaking.

---

adjective

1. festal.

   a festival atmosphere of unrestrained joy.

festival British  

/ ˈfɛstɪvəl /

noun

1. a day or period set aside for celebration or feasting, esp one of religious significance

2. any occasion for celebration, esp one which commemorates an anniversary or other significant event

3. an organized series of special events and performances, usually in one place

   a festival of drama

4. archaic a time of revelry; merrymaking

5. (modifier) relating to or characteristic of a festival

---

Other Word Forms

• prefestival noun

Etymology

Origin of festival

1300–50; Middle English < Medieval Latin fēstivālis ( diēs ) holy (day). See festive, -al ¹

Example Sentences

It's the city that brought us Oasis, Joy Division, the Stone Roses, the Hacienda nightclub and, more recently, the Parklife music festival.

From BBC

She recently flew back to the UK from a series of festival shows in Australia.

From BBC

In that sense, the Chinese consumer story in 2026 is less about stimulus checks or shopping festivals and more about psychology.

From MarketWatch

The deaths, coupled with chaos at an oversold Electric Zoo summer festival, alienated partygoers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Connectivity, over mobile and fixed networks, is critical when people come together at sports tournaments, cultural festivals, or business events.

From BBC

Related Words

• anniversary
• commemoration
• competition
• fair
• feast
• gala
• holiday