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DictionarypageantPublic spectacle
noun

pageant

PAJ-unt/ˈpædʒənt/

An elaborate public show presented before an audience.

Costumed performers enter beneath a floral arch as the pageant begins.

An elaborate public stage pageant: two lavishly costumed performers make a ceremonial entrance beneath a floral arch, visibly watched by an applauding audience.
Etymology
pageantLatinmovable scaffold

Latin pagina is recorded with the sense ‘movable scaffold.’ The name may have passed from the stage to the play performed on it, then broadened to an elaborate spectacle; its deeper origin is uncertain.

In context

Dave Goulson10:00
they'd certainly never win an apple beauty pageant and they'd never appear on the shelves of your local supermarket because they couldn't compete with all those shiny red and bright green apples
Choosing an apple tree variety

More examples

  • The town's annual pageants celebrate local history through music and dance.
  • Families gather to watch the school's holiday pageant.
  • The beauty pageant includes an evening of music and performances.

Forms

pageant · pageants

pageantry noun — Elaborate public display with ceremonial features.

Similar words

spectacle
Emphasizes an impressive sight rather than an organized performance.
show
A broader term for entertainment performed before an audience.