| MATSURI | Having overcome disease, one is launching a festival in Japan (7) |
| NEWYEAR | Which annual festival in Japan is called Ganjitsu, "Original Day"? (3,4) |
| GALA | Young woman launching a festival |
| ISHIOKA | Large festival in Japan's Kanto region |
| COUNTDOWN | Noble individual, hoarding diamonds, is launching event (9) |
| BLASTER | One whose job it is to blow things up with dynamite; a sci-fi laser gun, phaser or zapper; a powerful kick of a ball; a strengthening exercise; or, a sand-wedge, for launching a golf ball (7) |
| TBILISI | Disease one left is current in European city (7) |
| DIEBACK | Plant disease, one discovered in a bed, contaminated creek (7) |
| RETRACT | Withdraw part of army, diplomacy having overcome resistance (7) |
| VATICAN | Palace the holders, having overcome Ipswich originally (7) |
| AGOUTIS | A disease one has contracted from rodents (7) |
| PRURIGO | Disease one itches strongly to have (7) |
| BIRDFLU | Zoonotic disease - one of chickens came home to roost, might one say? |
| CATBIRD | US flier's disease, one caught by king maybe (7) |
| SLIPWAY | Ramp for launching a boat (7) |
| LASHOUT | Resort to verbal attack initially launching a loud cry (4,3) |
| LIFTOFF | The moment of launching a rocket |
| RELIEVE | Release right and wrong information in the period leading up to a festival (7) |
| ENCLAVE | Rebellious clan, sent in the day before a festival, surrounded territory (7) |
| EASTERN | A festival had new ending by One Direction (7) |
