A list of music festivals around the world. A music festival is afestival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending, performance art, and social activities. The Pythian Gamesat Delphi included musical performances, and may be one of the earliest festivals known.[1][dead link] During the Middle Agesfestivals were often held as competitions.