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Describe a food festival or food event that you visited

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 food festival or food event that you visited.

You should say:

  • where and when it took place
  • what kinds of food were there
  • what you ate and did there

and explain whether you would like to go to a similar event again.

Ready

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

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Band 8 sample answer

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

I'd like to talk about a street-food festival that I went to last September in Almaty. It was held in a large park near the city centre over a weekend, and I went on Saturday with two friends who, like me, love trying new dishes.

The festival had more than sixty stalls, and they offered food from many different countries: Korean fried chicken, Turkish kebabs, Georgian khachapuri, Italian pasta, and many Kazakh dishes as well. The smell was incredible, and the queues for the most popular stalls were very long. We decided to share, so that we could taste as many things as possible. My favourite was a Georgian cheese bread, which was hot and soft with an egg on top. I also tried a dessert from Vietnam that I couldn't even pronounce, made from coconut and sticky rice, and it was surprisingly good.

Besides eating, we watched a cooking demonstration where a chef made fresh dumplings from scratch, and he invited a child from the audience to help him, which was funny. There was also live music, so the whole atmosphere was cheerful.

I'd happily go to a similar event again, because it's a wonderful way to try different cuisines without spending much money or travelling abroad. The only problem is that you end up eating far too much. I walked home feeling extremely full, but I was also inspired, and the next day I tried to recreate one of the recipes at home, with mixed results.

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
street foodsnacks and meals sold at outdoor stalls
local specialitiesfoods typical of a particular region
tasting sessionan event where you try small portions
mouth-wateringlooking or smelling delicious
cooking demonstrationa show where a chef prepares a dish
queue upto wait in line

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 street-food festival in a big city
  • A local harvest or apple festival in a village
  • A cultural food fair run by international students

How to spend the two minutes

  1. 25 swhere and when it took place
  2. 25 swhat kinds of food were there
  3. 25 swhat you ate and did there
  4. 45 sand explain whether you would like to go to a similar event again.

Part 3 questions

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

  1. Why is food such an important part of a country's culture?
  2. Do you think people today eat a healthier diet than in the past?
  3. How have food festivals changed the way people discover new cuisines?
  4. Should traditional recipes be protected?
  5. Why do many people prefer eating out to cooking at home?
  6. How can food events help local farmers and small businesses?

Frequently asked questions

How should I describe an event in an IELTS cue card?

Set the scene with when, where and who was there, then walk through what happened in order. Finish with why it was memorable. If you were not at a big event, a small one you remember well works better.

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