This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2021) |
You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Hebrew. Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
Festigal (Hebrew: פסטיגל) is an annual Israeli song and dance musical show for children. Festigal is held every year at Hanukkah time, during the school vacation. It began as a song contest but the format gradually changed to include performances by well-known Israeli singers and actors.[1] Each year's event is built around a particular theme or story.
The first Festigal took place in the city of Haifa in 1981 and was the brainchild of impresario Miki Peled (later to be joined by his son, Yaron Peled). Since then, it has been held in venues nationwide. It is among the largest events during Hanukkah. For example, in 2006, about NIS 18 million NIS were allocated for the concerts.[1][2] The show was directed by Hanoch Rosen from 1997 until 2023.[3]
From 2002 until 2015, a theme song based on a popular tune was used, such as "Holding Out for a Hero" in 2005.[4]
From 1984, Festigal has had a different theme each year. For example, in 2010, the theme was the story of two kids lost in a museum at night with the exhibits coming to life and showing pieces of history (based on the 2006 film Night at the Museum). In 2015, the show had a high school theme loosely based on the Fame franchise and the TV show Glee.[citation needed]