A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as; musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. Many are held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vendors, performance art, and social activities. The Pythian games at Delphi included musical performances, and may be one of the earliest festivals known.http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Special:Search?search=Pythian+games+music&go=go 1911 Encyclopedia Britannnica During the Middle Ages festivals were often held as competitions.