[Cultural Festival / School Festival Theme] Carefully Selected High-Impact Recommended Phrases!

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.
Accompanist / Piano Instructoryuri
Accompanist pianist × piano instructor × web writer. I began piano lessons at age four and, inspired by my piano teacher, decided to pursue music. I went on to specialized music programs in high school and university, where I discovered the appeal of accompanying instrumentalists and singers. Currently, alongside teaching piano, I work mainly in my home region of Aichi as an accompanist for flute, voice, choir, and more. Through lessons, my students often introduce me to trending songs, and my hobby is trying anything on the piano—Japanese and Western pop, commercial jingles, and beyond. Since 2021, I’ve also been active as a web writer, covering music and a variety of other genres.

Slogans displayed every year at school festivals and cultural festivals.

Words with impact can make the festival even more exciting, but choosing one can be tough—“We want a theme that unites everyone,” “We want something funny,” and so on.

So, in this article, we’ve gathered recommended themes for cultural festivals.

From short, cool themes to witty parodies of famous quotes and stylish themes in English, we’ve picked a wide range.

Use them as inspiration when choosing your theme!

Parody/Humor Edition (1–10)

Thunderous applause and cheers

This phrase expresses the wish for everyone to celebrate the effort and emotion of the school festival together.

It evokes the image of thunderous applause filling the venue when presentations and performances end, making it perfect for creating a sense of achievement and unity.

It can also inspire students to give their all in each performance—be it a play, music, or dance.

Adding silhouettes of clapping hands or a shining stage to leaflets and posters will further strengthen the theme.

It’s a slogan that makes everyone who worked hard the star, creating a moment where anyone can bask in the spotlight.

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mutō

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If people go right, I go left.

This phrase expresses a determination to stay true to our own unique path without being swayed by those around us.

A school festival is the perfect stage to freely showcase individuality and creativity.

By deliberately taking on ideas that differ from the norm, we can leave a strong impression on visitors.

If we present original projects that slightly diverge from the mainstream in our exhibits or performances, they will align perfectly with this slogan.

Designing a poster with one left-pointing arrow inside a field of right-pointing arrows will communicate the theme even more clearly.

It’s a message that conveys our desire to uphold a style that’s entirely our own.

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mutō

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Someday I’ll remember this ___ festival, and I’m sure I’ll cry.

How about a playful phrase that riffs on the title of Kasumi Arimura’s drama “Someday, When I Recall This Love, I Will Surely Cry”? Try inserting your school festival’s name into it.

It will convey the feeling that it’s a wonderful festival that will remain in everyone’s memories.

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SAKI

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There’s a limit to how much you can 〇〇 / 〇〇 to a ridiculous extent

How about using the slogan “Too [Something] for Words,” as a parody of the 2024 drama ‘Impossibly Inappropriate’ (Futekisetsu ni mo Hodo ga Aru)? You could put your festival’s name in the [Something] part, or choose a word that evokes youth or a positive, hopeful feeling.

Everyone, please brainstorm together and create a wonderful slogan!

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Hane Keisuke

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A once-in-a-thousand chance; a rare once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

This phrase is a playful twist on the four-character idiom “千載一遇 (senzai-ichigū),” swapping the character 載 (“years”) with 祭 (“festival”) to fit a school festival theme.

Originally, “千載一遇” means a once-in-a-thousand-years chance—an exceptionally rare opportunity.

By rendering it as “千祭一遇,” it conveys the charming idea of a truly special festival that might occur only once in a thousand tries.

Since a four-character idiom alone can feel a bit plain, try pairing it with other words to create a compelling slogan.

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Hane Keisuke

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Set your heart ablaze — I’ll give it my all.

How about choosing “Set your heart ablaze” as a theme to pour your passion into the school festival? It’s the famous line of Kyojuro Rengoku, a popular character from the smash-hit anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, which has become a social phenomenon.

You could pair it with the lines that come before and after it, or add your own words.

Arrange it so that viewers can feel the heat of your enthusiasm.

With this theme, it should also be easier to decide on designs for flags and pamphlets.

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yamamoto

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The 〇〇 Festival is love of the very best kind.

These words are an adaptation of the line “Lies are the ultimate form of love” spoken by Ai Hoshino in the anime Oshi no Ko, which aired in 2023 and became a major sensation.

It’s perfect if you want a slogan that incorporates parody while staying warm and positive.

It sounds like it’ll be a wonderful, love-filled school festival!

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Hane Keisuke

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