Animal Crossing: New Horizons Festivale Guide

Animal Crossing Festivale — (Image credit: Nintendo)

It’s time to dance in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Festivale. February 15 is Festivale on your island and the ultra-colourful Pave has arrived to brighten the plaza after a long cold winter. You’ll need to find Festivale feathers, dress up in colourful Festivale outfits, and hunt down where to find the Festivale items and dance reactions.

You can’t miss Pave in the plaza, there’s confetti in the air and your villagers will all be dancing happily. This is a relatively simple affair. Head over to speak to him and you’ll find out that Pave wants feathers and you just need to find them. So if you too want to be entrapped by the, errr, ‘rhythms of Festivale’ this is your full guide to the joyful festivities.

How to catch Animal Crossing Festivale feathers

We’d been expecting Animal Crossing New Horizon Festivale feathers to rock up before the big day but it turns out that Pave has been saving up his supply until February 15. Amidst all the confetti, feathers come in five different colours - blue, green, red, purple, and the ultra-rare rainbow feather - and you can find them floating in the air just like cherry blossom leaves or snowflakes. Just like those too, you’ll need to grab your net to catch them. Thankfully though, unlike snowflakes, Festivale feathers stay around after a missed swing so you don’t need to worry about lining it up just right on your first go and running doesn’t seem to bother them much either.

Pave will give you a random Festivale item for every three feathers of the same color you bring to his hips. Well, to him but he says his hips ‘sense’ them so make of that what you will. The Animal Crossing Festivale items have five different color variations and you’ll need a rainbow-colored feather to customize them at a crafting bench.

The good news is that Pave immediately gives you a rainbow feather DIY so you can fake one up instead of finding one. As you’d expect, all you’ll need to make one is a feather of each color. You then have a choice of whether to customize your item or take the precious rainbow feather to Pave in exchange for a random rainbow item.

And, if you can’t find a specific feather, talk to your villagers. The colors of their Festivale gear isn’t just random. If they are wearing green garb that means you can give them green feathers to trade for something else so if you need to make a set for another rainbow feather, start chatting to Tangy and co.

Animal Crossing New Horizons Festivale Items and the Festivale Float

There are nine Animal Crossing Festivale items in total to collect and they’ve been proudly displayed in the Nooks shop every day since the start of February. Each one comes in five different colours and instead of customising them with the usual kits, you’ll have to use rainbow feathers. Thankfully now though, you don’t have to spend Bells. You can just hand feathers over to Pave.

For each set of three feathers you give Pave, he will hand you over a corresponding item of the same colour. So if you give him three purple feathers, you’ll get a randomised purple item such as a drum or lamp. However, if you hand over one rainbow feather, he’ll exchange it for a random rainbow-coloured item.

But, of course, this is Animal Crossing and there’s always going to be a special item you can only get on the day. The Animal Crossing Festivale float is Pave’s gift to you if you bring him three rainbow feathers at the same time.

Festivale Flag
Festivale Drum
Festivale Lamp
Festivale Stall
Festivale Stage
Festivale Parasol
Festivale Balloon Lamp
Festivale Garland
Festivale Confetti Machine
Festivale Float (three rainbow feathers)

Animal Crossing Festivale outfits

Don’t be insulted but Pave really doesn’t like your clothes. He’ll ask you to put your usual winter cosy wear in a boring drawer and embrace Festivale. Thankfully your whole island has gone all in on Festivale and that includes the Able Sisters. The gloriously sequined Festivale Tank Dress, Festivale Accessory, and Festivale Costume have actually been on rotation in the Able Sisters shop since the start of the month but don’t worry if you’ve missed them as they’re all available today. In bright orange, green, blue and pink, they’ll all make sure you stand out in a crowd and, most importantly, Pave will approve.

Festivale Tank Dress
Festivale Accessory
Festivale Costume

Where to find Animal Crossing New Horizons Festivale reactions

If you’ve not been playing through February and are just back to celebrate Festivale, don’t forget to pick up your Festival reactions to make sure you impress Pave with your dance moves. You’ll find the Animal Crossing New Horizons Festivale rections in the Nooks cabinet and they’re time limited until the end of February 15. For 19,800 Bells you’ll get four different happy-making Festivale reactions for you to get your groove on with Pave and your villagers.

Confetti
Viva
Let’s Go
Feelin’ It

Louise Blain is a journalist and broadcaster specialising in gaming, technology, and entertainment. She is the presenter of BBC Radio 3’s monthly Sound of Gaming show and has a weekly consumer tech slot on BBC Radio Scotland. She can also be found on BBC Radio 4, BBC Five Live, Netflix UK's YouTube Channel, and on The Evolution of Horror podcast. As well as her work on GamesRadar, Louise writes for NME, T3, and TechRadar. When she’s not working, you can probably find her watching horror movies or playing an Assassin’s Creed game and getting distracted by Photo Mode.