[For High School Students] A roundup of recommended attractions for the school festival
High school cultural festivals usually offer more freedom than in junior high—things like attractions and food stalls—so you can try all kinds of ideas, right?
Since it only happens once a year, I’m sure many students are thinking, “We want to create a memorable, amazing attraction!”
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of recommended ideas for high school cultural festivals, from the classics to the unconventional.
You can go with a tried-and-true crowd-pleaser, or take on a unique idea that won’t overlap with other classes!
As you consider factors like preparation time and budget, use this as a reference to decide which attraction to choose.
- Unusual attractions you can do in a classroom for a cultural or school festival
- Cultural Festival: Ranking of Popular Booth Ideas
- [Non-food] Cultural festival attractions: from classroom exhibits to stage events
- Ideas for class projects at the school festival: A roundup of popular attractions
- [By Genre] Cultural Festival / School Festival Booth Catalog [2026]
- Games that rival street festivals and variety shows!? Crowd-pleasers for school cultural festivals
- Attraction Ideas for School Festivals That Only High Schoolers Can Pull Off?
- [Middle School] Cultural Festival Attractions: A roundup of popular exhibits, games, and stage performances
- Stage performance ideas to excite a cultural or school festival
- Festival booth menu items that can be served without cooking and without using fire
- Recommended ideas for student council projects at a school festival, such as recreational activities and stage events.
- Ideas for stage events and attractions that will liven up a school festival
- Better than a theme park! Attractions perfect for school cultural festivals
[For High School Students] Recommended Booth Ideas for the Culture Festival (11–20)
Karaoke Contest
Let’s take everyone’s favorite “karaoke” and elevate it into a full-on Karaoke Contest.
Use a smoke machine to hype up the stage and ask the drama club for guidance on lighting.
With a spotlight cutting through the darkness, it’ll feel just like a TV music show.
If there’s a volunteer band, live accompaniment will make it even more exciting.
If karaoke equipment isn’t allowed, consider turning it into a “Harmony Sing-Off”! Ask the music teacher and the principal to judge the performances.
Inviting a locally famous singer as a special guest could also be a great touch.
PythagoraSwitch
When I hear “PythagoraSwitch,” what comes to mind is the opening scene of the movie Back to the Future.
In the morning, when the alarm clock is turned off, a contraption starts operating and eventually breakfast is prepared.
Let’s build a large-scale chain-reaction device—known as a “PythagoraSwitch,” which became explosively popular from a segment on NHK’s children’s show PythagoraSwitch—and show it off at the school festival! Above all, it’s all about fresh ideas.
Use levers, balances, seesaws, and slopes to come up with mechanisms no one has thought of.
It could also be fun to pay homage to the show and make a piece that’s a faithful copy.
chorus
At many schools, plans are organized by grade: first-years handle exhibits, second-years do stage performances, and third-years run food stalls.
If your grade is in charge of the stage, how about trying a choral performance? Many of you might be thinking, “Singing together? Not since elementary school…” One idea is to choose a popular, current song that people don’t usually associate with chorus.
You could also ride the popularity of the TV show ‘Zenkoku Hamonep League’ and perform a small-group harmony number—it would definitely hype up the crowd.
Music has the power to make everyone happy.
Don’t be shy—sing your heart out!
dance
In the past, “piano” was by far the most popular extracurricular activity for girls, but now “dance” is poised to take its place.
Rhythm dance has even been officially incorporated into PE classes at school, so dance feels much more familiar than it used to.
Let’s use this popular dance to liven up the school festival! Whether you perfectly copy a K-pop idol routine or sing and dance like AKB48, the stage is sure to get hyped.
You could also present a medley in the style of an idol concert.
An original contemporary dance would be artistic and cool, too.
Jungle Cruise
A jungle at school!? Jungle Cruise is a booth idea that’s sure to be a hit with kids.
Create a route in the classroom wide enough for a cart to pass through, and decorate the surroundings to look like a jungle.
Guests ride in a dedicated vehicle and simply follow the course! Place models of plants and animals you’d find in a real jungle here and there, and have a guide accompany the vehicle, giving explanations as you pass each spot to make it feel even more authentic.
Think of the attraction at Tokyo Disneyland as the reference image.
Photo spot
A great attraction you can set up anywhere around the school is a photo spot.
Create a place that makes people want to take pictures, with sparkling decorations and eye-catching objects.
It’s also nice to use themes of friendship or romance to help classmates and couples grow closer.
By getting people to post their glamorous photos on social media, you can boost the cultural festival even more.
Prepare colorful lighting and illustrations to build a popular photo spot! Why not try an attraction that every student in the school can enjoy?
[For High School Students] Recommended Booth/Attraction Ideas for the School Cultural Festival (21–30)
Independent film screening
Live performances like plays and musicals are of course great, but how about making a film for the school festival? Since you can make it in advance, it will reduce the workload on the day.
If you choose a school-related theme, I think people will enjoy it even more.