festival

Definition of festivalnext
as in celebration
a time or program of special events and entertainment in honor of something tourists flock to the town for its annual strawberry festival

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of festival The conflict has also become a hot button topic at Venice, with activists calling on the festival to raise the Palestinian flag in recognition of the Palestinian directors in selection. Nada Aboul Kheir, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2026 The festival, with a capacity of 80,000 people, also was hit with mud and rain in 2023 as many attendees were trapped on its grounds, where vehicle traffic was temporarily limited and some hiked in the mud to nearby towns. Dennis Romero, NBC news, 5 Sep. 2026 Recent work on the international festival circuit has been making interventions, however. Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026 Zucker is more than just a man about to sit for a movie on the festival’s most crowded night so far of the 83rd edition. Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for festival
Recent Examples of Synonyms for festival
Noun
  • In Barranquilla, an exclusive celebration at the embarkation point channels the city’s carnival, a convergence of African, Indigenous, and Spanish traditions brought to life through cumbia, mapalé, and color on every departure, year-round.
    Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Last April, Phuwin appeared in a Loewe campaign based on Songkran, the Thai New Year’s celebration that has been likened to a nationwide water fight, though its rituals are meant to symbolize cleansing, reverence and good fortune.
    Miles Socha, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The festivities stretch along Mulberry Street between Canal and Houston Streets with hundreds of vendors.
    Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The South Florida festivities mark the end of carnival season, which celebrates Caribbean culture.
    Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Spain will host a gran fiesta for its winning team on the streets of Madrid.
    Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 20 July 2026
  • The Carnaval de Guaranda, for instance, takes inspiration from a rowdy annual fiesta held in the Bolivar Province and is made with vodka, hops, figs, white truffle, turmeric, and a local moonshine called pájaro azul.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026

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“Festival.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/festival. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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