A1 Level – Elementary
1. Do you like going to festivals?
2. What is your favorite music festival?
3. What time of year are most festivals?
4. Do you like loud music?
5. What food do you eat at a festival?
6. Do you wear special clothes for a festival?
7. What makes a festival crowded?
8. Do you like watching fireworks?
9. What is a popular festival in your city?
10. Do you prefer indoor or outdoor events?
11. What is the difference between a festival and a party?
12. Do you like to camp at festivals?
13. What is the job of a festival organizer?
14. What makes people happy at a festival?
15. Have you ever seen a street performer?
A2 Level – Pre-Intermediate
1. What are the key differences between a music festival and a traditional cultural festival?
2. Describe the atmosphere and energy of a large public festival.
3. What essential items should you bring to a weekend-long outdoor festival?
4. What are the common security issues that festival organizers must address?
5. How do festivals help boost the local economy of a town or city?
6. What kind of artistic activities (e.g., painting, crafts) happen at festivals?
7. Have you ever attended a festival dedicated to a specific type of food?
8. What is the role of volunteer staff in making a large festival run smoothly?
9. What are the biggest challenges related to sanitation and waste management at a festival?
10. Do you think festivals are a good place to discover new music or artists?
11. What are the pros and cons of buying tickets online versus at the entrance?
12. How does the weather change the plans and mood of a festival crowd?
13. What historical or religious significance does a traditional festival often have?
14. What are the common noise complaints related to large festivals?
15. What are the best ways to find accommodation near a remote festival site?
B1 Level – Intermediate
1. Discuss the social value of temporary communities that form at large, multi-day festivals.
2. How can festival organizers balance the need for profit with environmental sustainability?
3. What are the ethical issues surrounding the high cost of tickets and access to popular festivals?
4. Do you think large festivals are generally safe, and what are the biggest risks?
5. Describe a time when a festival experience changed your opinion about a type of music or art.
6. To what extent does the commercial sponsorship of a festival affect its artistic integrity?
7. What role do festivals play in helping to preserve and showcase local cultural heritage?
8. How has technology (e.g., cashless payments, drone light shows) changed the festival experience?
9. Discuss the psychological feeling of collective excitement and unity in a large crowd.
10. What are the challenges for local residents when a massive international festival comes to their area?
11. How do different genres of music festivals (e.g., rock vs. electronic) create distinct subcultures?
12. Should governments provide financial support to small, non-profit community festivals?
13. What is the difference between attending a large, controlled festival and a spontaneous, free street party?
14. Discuss the tradition of wearing costumes or face paint at certain types of festivals.
15. What is the long-term impact of attending a festival on a person’s memory and mood?
B2 Level – Upper-Intermediate
1. How does the unique atmosphere of a large festival allow people to temporarily escape their normal social identities?
2. What are the ethical arguments about the amount of waste and short-term pollution generated by massive music festivals?
3. Should festivals in remote areas be required to have minimum standards for medical and emergency services?
4. What are the psychological reasons why the sensory overload of a festival is appealing to many people?
5. How has the dominance of a few major festival brands affected the opportunities for independent artists?
6. Discuss the idea that festivals are becoming less about the music and more about social media photo opportunities.
7. What is the role of festivals in promoting mental health awareness and safe behavior among young adults?
8. How do the security measures at festivals (e.g., bag checks, metal detectors) affect the feeling of freedom?
9. What are the challenges of catering a festival to diverse dietary needs (vegan, gluten-free, allergy-friendly)?
10. Discuss the concept of “festival tourism” and its effect on the housing and prices in a local area.
11. What are the legal responsibilities of festival organizers concerning noise levels and the time music must stop?
12. Should there be age restrictions for certain types of festivals, and why?
13. What is the difference between a festival that preserves a tradition and one that commercializes it?
14. How does the use of cashless wristbands and other tech change the way people spend money at festivals?
15. Discuss the psychological process of returning to routine after the high energy of a major festival weekend.
C1 Level – Advanced
1. Analyze the socioeconomic factors that create barriers to entry for low-income individuals wanting to attend major festivals.
2. To what degree should the state regulate the content and messaging of festivals to ensure public safety and morality?
3. Discuss the philosophical idea of festivals as a temporary “utopia” that challenges everyday societal rules.
4. Evaluate the efficacy of current waste management strategies used by the world’s largest music festivals.
5. How does the architecture of a festival site (e.g., stage placement, flow of traffic) influence the collective mood?
6. Examine the historical role of public festivals as platforms for political expression and social protest.
7. What ethical guidelines should govern the sale of alcohol and controlled substances at large public gatherings?
8. Discuss the concept of “communitas”—the intense feeling of collective bonding—that occurs during festival rituals.
9. How do different cultures use the concept of a “carnival” or festival to temporarily invert social hierarchies?
10. Analyze the interplay between the music industry’s business model and the artistic curation of festival lineups.
11. What ethical challenges arise when festival organizers use facial recognition or other surveillance technology on attendees?
12. Debate whether the environmental cost of international travel for major destination festivals is justifiable.
13. How does the absence of technology (e.g., poor reception) at remote festivals affect social interaction?
14. Discuss the concept of “ephemeral art” and its importance in the temporary visual identity of a festival.
15. To what extent does the legal structure of intellectual property protect the unique experience or design of a major festival?
C2 Level – Proficiency
1. How do you analyze the idea that festivals are a modern form of ancient religious or spiritual pilgrimage?
2. Formulate a critique of the global media’s role in creating a monolithic, commercialized image of the “festival experience.”
3. Analyze the intersection of land use policy, public access rights, and the privatization of space for large-scale events.
4. Discuss the philosophical definition of ‘play’ and ‘recreation’ in the context of intense, multi-day sensory experiences.
5. Critically evaluate the effectiveness of harm-reduction policies implemented at major electronic music festivals.
6. Propose a sustainable economic model for festivals that prioritizes local cultural impact over global profitability.
7. Examine the psychological function of the “flow state” induced by music, rhythm, and large group synchronization.
8. How does the semiotics of festival fashion and identity reflect or challenge mainstream societal norms?
9. Discuss the ethical responsibilities of event management regarding the long-term noise pollution effects on local wildlife.
10. Analyze the historical relationship between cycles of social liberalism and the proliferation of large-scale, unregulated festivals.
11. Articulate the inherent tension between the desired spontaneity of a festival and the required precision of event logistics.
12. Debate whether virtual reality platforms will eventually replace the need for physical attendance at music and art festivals.
13. Assess the long-term societal effects of temporary rule-breaking and emotional release on the stability of civil society.
14. Discuss the philosophical definition of ‘collective joy’ and how it is manufactured and experienced in a massive crowd.
15. How might the structure of a festival be adapted to effectively host large-scale scientific or educational symposiums?
