November Festival
Kyoto University's school festival is called November Festival (and is commonly known as the "NF").
The name "November Festival" was first used in the annual autumn school festival in 1953, when the event was held under the name of "Kyoto University Autumn Cultural Festival - November Festival." The choice of words reflects the hope that the festival would become an event for the general public. The name soon became established, and it was used formally from the following year. True to its name, today, the festival, which takes place in November (on or after 20), is a significant annual event for the students.
Festival Eve
Held on the day before the November Festival (NF), Festival Eve is an event in which Kyoto University students gather together at Yoshida Ground after classes end and enjoy a bonfire, refreshment booths, and stage performances.
Festival Eve has been held each year since the second NF. The first NF did not attract many students, so the university's cheering party organized an event on the day before the second NF by gathering students on their way home after class, in an attempt to usher them into the second NF. This marked the beginning of Festival Eve. Probably thanks to their efforts, today large numbers of visitors attend both the NF and Festival Eve.
Today, Festival Eve is still hosted by the cheering group. It has an atmosphere that differs slightly from that of the November Festival itself, but the Yoshida Ground is always full of life on Festival Eve.