Get the Crowd Going at Your High School Culture Festival! A Collection of Ideas for Plays and Musicals
When it comes time to put on a play for your high school cultural festival, the choice of work can dramatically change the feel of the stage.
From moving fantasies to relatable comedies and heartfelt musicals, each has its own unique appeal and key directing points.
Because it’s a production everyone in the class creates together, you’ll want to pick something that’s fun for the cast to make and a joy for the audience to watch.
Here, we introduce a wide range of plays that are perfect for high school cultural festivals.
Find the one that fits your class!
- Make your cultural festival play unforgettable! A collection of ideas from Disney to trending works
- Cultural Festival: Ranking of Popular Booth Ideas
- Recommended for elementary school students! A collection of classic play ideas that will excite upper graders too
- [For High School Students] A roundup of recommended attractions for the school festival
- Stage and Booth Events for the School Culture Festival! A Collection of Ideas to Get Everyone Excited
- Ideas for Performances That Inspire Laughter and Tears: Perfect for Upper Grades at School Arts and Learning Showcases
- Stage performance ideas to excite a cultural or school festival
- [Middle School] Cultural Festival Attractions: A roundup of popular exhibits, games, and stage performances
- [Short Movie] A collection of video project ideas you can use for cultural and school festivals
- [Cultural Festival / School Festival Theme] Carefully Selected High-Impact Recommended Phrases!
- I want to adapt these for the school festival! A roundup of comedians’ manzai, sketch comedy, and one-liner gags
- [Hilarious] One-Liner Gags That Kill at Parties and Events
- [By Genre] Cultural Festival / School Festival Booth Catalog [2026]
Musicals · Large Cast · Heartwarming/Moving Recommendations (21–30)
Yoshimoto Shinkigeki: Shoshiro’s Whimsical Romantic
Let’s create a fun space with a parody of Yoshimoto Shinkigeki, which is highly recognized especially in the Kansai region.
Shinkigeki has several classic, staple storylines, so using those as references should make scripting easier.
In Yoshimoto Shinkigeki, the most important element is the rapid-fire exchange of gags performed by its distinctive characters, so we’ll want to put special care into that.
Depending on the scenario, certain standout characters can be particularly memorable, so it might be a good idea to decide on the characters first and then write the script.
Your name is.
How about recreating the 2016 film “Your Name.” with your whole class? Since the story involves a boy and a girl swapping bodies, it’s sure to be a hit with performances where the boys act in a girlish way and the girls act in a boyish way.
Depending on how you write the script, you could make it either comedic or touching.
Mary PoppinsNEW!
It’s one of the works that’s famous as a movie and a musical, isn’t it? One day, a nanny who can use magic, Mary Poppins, rides the wind and appears before the Banks family, who have a strict, serious father and a mother busy with daily life—this is the fantasy.
Scenes where she tidies up using mysterious powers and takes the children on adventures are sure to excite them.
Thanks to the governess, the family regains their bonds, and love and smiles return to their home—since it’s a happy-ending story, be sure to include it on this occasion!
CatsNEW!
As a classic in musical theatre, Cats is a captivating work featuring a cast of distinctive felines, with no humans appearing at all.
On an urban junkyard set, the cats perform lively songs and dances as they each dream of being the one chosen to gain a new life.
The Shiki Theatre Company’s production is also famous, so it’s a good idea to use it as a reference for how the piece is presented.
Get creative with costumes and makeup to transform into an alluring cat! Fully embody a feline, dance lightly, and sing with hope for renewal.
Chorus LineNEW!
Let me introduce the musical A Chorus Line, which embraces the theme “Life is a stage, and living is a drama.” It’s a musical that will undoubtedly move you, as it portrays with great intensity the passion, struggles, and even prayers of those single-mindedly pursuing their dreams.
For students who hope to enter the world of theater or musicals in the future, the audition scenes may feel as tense and authentic as a real audition.
It looks to be a work that will truly touch the hearts of its audience.
The Sound of MusicNEW!
Maria, a novice who doesn’t quite fit in as a nun, is sent by the Mother Abbess to become a governess for the children at the Von Trapp villa.
Having lost their mother, the children constantly play pranks to attract the attention of their father, Captain Von Trapp, causing governesses to quit one after another.
However, they warm to Maria, and through the songs she teaches them, they begin to mend their relationship with their father.
If you’re looking for a heartwarming musical, why not choose this work as your theme? Practice the songs well and move not only the father’s heart, but the audience’s too.
Mamma miaNEW!
Let us introduce “Mamma Mia!”, performed to ABBA’s hit songs that everyone has heard.
The setting is a daughter’s wedding.
An unexpected incident comes to light on the big day.
Just when you might think it’s a serious story, the bright, free-spirited performances are sure to make viewers smile! It could be great to add originality to the source by incorporating arrangements and ideas unique to high school students.
Why not involve teachers and other adults around you and turn it into a comedic, feel-good musical?