A show-stopping party trick that energizes the crowd at a school cultural festival
What would you do if you were asked to perform a quick party trick at a school festival or cultural festival?
If you’re someone who already excels at a particular skill or has a special talent, you can jump in without hesitation.
But there are probably some people who feel like, “I don’t have anything I can show others… I’d rather not,” and want to turn it down.
In this article, we’ll introduce quick and fun performances recommended for cultural festivals that might come in handy in exactly those situations.
We’ve gathered plenty of ideas, from things you can do right away with no practice to ones that could become a neat specialty once you learn them.
If you’re thinking, “I want to do something, but I don’t know what,” be sure to use this as a reference!
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- [Middle School] Cultural Festival Attractions: A roundup of popular exhibits, games, and stage performances
- [For High School Students] A roundup of recommended attractions for the school festival
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One-hit gags that liven up cultural and school festival booths (11–20)
Do a one-shot gag like a comedian
How about trying to imitate and perform some one-shot gags by popular comedians? There are plenty of comedians with signature one-shot bits, like Haranishi from FUJIWARA and Chuei from Nagareboshi.
Pick a well-known routine or one that makes you think, “I want to try this!” and give it a go.
If you recreate it as faithfully as possible, you’re sure to get laughs.
If you can, adding your own twist can be great too.
The most important thing is not to be shy.
Pretend you’re that comedian and go all in!
portrait (caricature)
A simple idea is to draw quick portraits on the spot and give them as gifts.
Not only your drawing skills but also your speed are important.
You can aim for accurate likenesses, or capture key features and create a stylized caricature—that would be fun too.
The standard approach is to go to people who want to be drawn, but as a bit of promotion, surprising someone by drawing their portrait without asking and gifting it to them is also recommended.
Let’s aim to create drawings that truly delight the recipients.
funny face
Funny faces are a surefire one-shot act that will shine at school festivals! Anyone can do them easily, so they’re great for people who feel they don’t have a special skill.
Practice in front of a mirror and find a face that makes everyone laugh.
The key is not to feel embarrassed.
If you go all out, you’re sure to put smiles on people’s faces.
Because it’s such a simple trick, it sticks in people’s memories—that’s the point.
It can also spark conversations and help you get closer to friends.
Use funny faces to lighten the mood and create fun memories!
manzai (a traditional Japanese stand-up comedy duo performance)
If you like chatting and making people laugh, definitely give manzai a try.
There’s a lot that can be tough, like writing material and practicing, but the sense of accomplishment is immense.
At first, it’s hard to get laughs like the comedians you see on TV, but with practice, even amateurs can make people laugh.
School things everyone can relate to
Impersonations are a classic act for performances.
They’re easy because you can do them with just your body, but it does take some courage—what if it doesn’t get laughs, or what if it doesn’t sound similar enough? So how about doing some light impersonations with “school clichés”? Things like “that one person every class definitely has,” common event scenarios, a teacher’s catchphrases or things they’re likely to say—bundle up those school-related clichés and perform them all at once! The more relatable the material, the bigger the laughs you’ll get.
backflip
If you’re confident in your athletic ability, why not try a back handspring? If you pull it off, your act will be over in an instant and you’ll look cool doing it! The key to a successful back handspring is to swing your arms big and jump boldly backward.
Beginners will likely find falling backward scary at first, but you’ll get used to it—start by practicing falling on a soft surface.
Once you can do a back handspring, why not challenge yourself with combinations of moves?
One-shot Gags That Liven Up Cultural and School Festival Booths (21–30)
Impersonation
Many men probably love to liven things up with impressions, don’t they? From impersonations of celebrities and anime characters to inside jokes that only your group understands, they’re handy when you want to quickly energize the mood.
Impressions are a classic party act, so they’re also recommended if you’re considering a comedy-style performance.
Think up material that suits the occasion and fill the venue with a bright, upbeat atmosphere.
Also, be prepared for jokes that might not land by having several bits ready to go.