From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfestivalfes‧ti‧val /ˈfestəvəl/ ●●● S3 W3 noun [countable] 1 APan occasion when there are performances of many films, plays, pieces of music etc, usually happening in the same place every yearfestival of the Swansea Festival of Music and the Arts2 CELEBRATEa special occasion when people celebrate something such as a religious event, and there is often a public holiday Christmas is one of the main festivals in the Christian calendar.COLLOCATIONSverbshave/hold a festivalTucson had a film festival last month.celebrate a festivalThe festival is celebrated each July.go to a festival (also attend a festival formal)An estimated 20,000 people had attended the festival.appear/play/speak at a festival (=perform at a festival)Sting is scheduled to appear at a festival in Amsterdam next month.take part in a festival (=perform there)The school choir, which has taken part in the festival since 1980, is rehearsing every day.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + festivala film/music/dance/arts festivalThe movie won an award at the Cannes Film Festival.a rock/pop/jazz/folk festivalHe's appeared at folk festivals all over Europe.a literary festivalthe Cheltenham Literary Festival.a beer festivalthe famous Munich beer festivalan international festivalan international festival of drama and dancea cultural festivalA cultural festival will celebrate the traditions of the local people.festival + NOUNfestival eventsMany of the festival events are already sold out.a festival programme (=a series of events at a festival)This year's festival programme includes musicians from all over the world.a festival organizerFestival organizers say they expect more than 50,000 visitors.
Examples from the Corpus
festival• Are you going to the Glastonbury festival this year?• I first heard them play at the Pittsburgh Jazz Festival.• Hannukah is an eight-day Jewish festival.• Jazz, film and literature festivals, entertainment spectaculars and superstar concerts.• the music festival in Salzburg• If you care to listen and take part in our festivals, feel free.• The Elizabethan is the heart and soul of the festival.• At a new universities festival in Bradford he had run into Richard Neville.Origin festival (1300-1400) Old French Latin festivus; → FESTIVE 