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Describe a concert, festival or cultural event that you would like to go to in the future

Try the card on the exam timer first, then read the band-8 sample answer and the Part 3 questions that follow it.

Practice it like the exam

Part 2 · Candidate task card

Describe a concert, festival or cultural event that you would like to go to in the future.

You should say:

  • what the event is
  • where and when it takes place
  • who you would go with

and explain why you want to attend it.

Ready

1 minute to prepare, then 2 minutes to speak. It switches on its own.

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Band 8 sample answer

272 words · about 2 minutes at a natural pace · Phrases from the vocabulary list are highlighted.

An event I'd love to attend is the Glastonbury music festival in England. It takes place every year in the summer on a huge farm in the countryside, and it attracts over two hundred thousand people. It's been on my bucket list for years.

The festival lasts for about five days, and has dozens of stages, with performances by international stars as well as new artists. Besides music, there are also theatre shows, comedy acts, circus performers and markets selling food from all over the world. People camp in tents on the fields, and the atmosphere is supposed to be amazing. I've watched several highlights online, and I was impressed by the sight of tens of thousands of people singing the same song together.

I would go with two of my closest friends, who share my taste in music. We have talked about it many times, and we are saving up for the trip. The main difficulty is getting tickets, because they sell out in minutes, sometimes before the line-up is even announced, so we'd have to be ready at the computer at the moment they go on sale. We'd also need to book flights and bring good waterproof clothing, since the weather is famously unpredictable and the fields can get very muddy.

I want to go for several reasons. First, I love live performances, as they feel so different from recordings. Second, I'd like to experience the electric atmosphere and meet people from around the world. And third, I think it would be a real adventure, a break from my normal routine that I'd remember for the rest of my life.

What to notice

  • It takes the points on the card in order, so the examiner can follow it.
  • Each point gets a specific detail or a short story, which is what keeps a talk going for two minutes.
  • The "explain" line at the end gets the most time, because that is where you give an opinion and show your range of language.

We wrote this answer for practice; it does not come from IELTS. Take its structure and phrases and tell your own story, because examiners notice memorised answers.

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Useful vocabulary

PhraseMeaning
a live performancea show with performers present
headline actthe main performer of an event
the electric atmospherean exciting, energetic mood
get ticketsbuy entry passes
sell outhave all tickets bought
a bucket-list eventsomething you want to do before you die

Plan it in one minute

Choose what to talk about in the first ten seconds, then write two or three key words for each point. Full sentences take too long to write and to read back.

Who or what you could talk about

  • A music festival abroad
  • A concert by your favourite singer or orchestra
  • A traditional cultural festival

How to spend the two minutes

  1. 25 swhat the event is
  2. 25 swhere and when it takes place
  3. 25 swho you would go with
  4. 45 sand explain why you want to attend it.

Part 3 questions

In the exam these come straight after your talk, on the wider subject: Live events and culture. Answer each in 3–4 sentences, with your view, a reason and an example.

  1. Why do people enjoy going to live events such as concerts and festivals?
  2. Do you think tickets for big events are too expensive?
  3. How do festivals help to promote a country's culture?
  4. Is it better to watch an event live or on television?
  5. What problems can large crowds cause?

Frequently asked questions

How do I talk about future plans in an IELTS cue card?

Say what you would like to do, why, and how you would go about it. Mix future forms: "I'm planning to", "I'd love to", "if I had the chance, I would". A plan you really have gives you more to say than an invented one.

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