diff --git a/test/test_main.py b/test/test_main.py
index b8c53e9..8f8c6d2 100644
--- a/test/test_main.py
+++ b/test/test_main.py
@@ -68,16 +68,11 @@ def test_readme():
     _test('hello world', 'həloʊ wɜːld ', '--verbose')
     _test('hello world', 'həloʊ wɜːld ', '--quiet')
     _test('hello world', 'hello world | həloʊ wɜːld ', '--prepend-text')
-    _test('hello world', 'hhaxlow werld', '-b festival --strip')
     _test('bonjour le monde', 'bɔ̃ʒuʁ lə mɔ̃d ', '-l fr-fr')
     _test('bonjour le monde', 'b ɔ̃ ʒ u ʁ ;eword l ə ;eword m ɔ̃ d ;eword ',
           '-l fr-fr -p " " -w ";eword "')
 
 
-@pytest.mark.skipif(
-    '2.1' in backend.FestivalBackend.version(),
-    reason='festival-2.1 gives different results than further versions '
-    'for syllable boundaries')
 def test_readme_festival_syll():
     _test('hello world',
           'hh ax ;esyll l ow ;esyll ;eword w er l d ;esyll ;eword ',
diff --git a/test/test_phonemize.py b/test/test_phonemize.py
index d156c9e..2bbe371 100644
--- a/test/test_phonemize.py
+++ b/test/test_phonemize.py
@@ -213,18 +213,6 @@ def test_segments(njobs):
         ('segments', True, True, False,
             ['achi acho?', '', 'achi acho'],
             [u'ʌtʃɪ ʌtʃʊ?', '', u'ʌtʃɪ ʌtʃʊ ']),
-        ('festival', False, False, False,
-            ['hello world!', '', 'goodbye'],
-            ['hhaxlow werld ', 'guhdbay ']),
-        ('festival', False, True, False,
-            ['hello world!', '', 'goodbye'],
-            ['hhaxlow werld!', 'guhdbay ']),
-        ('festival', True, False, False,
-            ['hello world!', '', 'goodbye'],
-            ['hhaxlow werld ', '', 'guhdbay ']),
-        ('festival', True, True, False,
-            ['hello world!', '', 'goodbye'],
-            ['hhaxlow werld!', '', 'guhdbay ']),
         ('espeak', False, False, True,
             ['hello world!', '', 'goodbye'],
             [('hello world!', 'həloʊ wɜːld '), ('goodbye', 'ɡʊdbaɪ ')]),
@@ -248,19 +236,7 @@ def test_segments(njobs):
             [('achi acho?', u'ʌtʃɪ ʌtʃʊ '), ('', ''), ('achi acho', u'ʌtʃɪ ʌtʃʊ ')]),
         ('segments', True, True, True,
             ['achi acho?', '', 'achi acho'],
-            [('achi acho?', u'ʌtʃɪ ʌtʃʊ?'), ('', ''), ('achi acho', u'ʌtʃɪ ʌtʃʊ ')]),
-        ('festival', False, False, True,
-            ['hello world!', '', 'goodbye'],
-            [('hello world!', 'hhaxlow werld '), ('goodbye', 'guhdbay ')]),
-        ('festival', False, True, True,
-            ['hello world!', '', 'goodbye'],
-            [('hello world!', 'hhaxlow werld!'), ('goodbye', 'guhdbay ')]),
-        ('festival', True, False, True,
-            ['hello world!', '', 'goodbye'],
-            [('hello world!', 'hhaxlow werld '), ('', ''), ('goodbye', 'guhdbay ')]),
-        ('festival', True, True, True,
-            ['hello world!', '', 'goodbye'],
-            [('hello world!', 'hhaxlow werld!'), ('', ''), ('goodbye', 'guhdbay ')])])
+            [('achi acho?', u'ʌtʃɪ ʌtʃʊ?'), ('', ''), ('achi acho', u'ʌtʃɪ ʌtʃʊ ')])])
 def test_preserve_empty_lines(backend, empty_lines, punctuation, prepend_text, text, expected):
     language = 'cree' if backend == 'segments' else 'en-us'
 
@@ -278,11 +254,7 @@ def test_preserve_empty_lines(backend, empty_lines, punctuation, prepend_text, t
         ('segments', False, False, [''], []),
         ('segments', False, True, [''], []),
         ('segments', True, False, [''], ['']),
-        ('segments', True, True, [''], ['']),
-        ('festival', False, False, [''], []),
-        ('festival', False, True, [''], []),
-        ('festival', True, False, [''], ['']),
-        ('festival', True, True, [''], [''])])
+        ('segments', True, True, [''], [''])])
 def test_empty_input(backend, empty_lines, punctuation, text, expected):
     language = 'cree' if backend == 'segments' else 'en-us'
 
diff --git a/test/test_punctuation.py b/test/test_punctuation.py
index b2206ac..62e31c1 100644
--- a/test/test_punctuation.py
+++ b/test/test_punctuation.py
@@ -28,9 +28,6 @@ ESPEAK_150 = (EspeakBackend.version() >= (1, 50))
 # True if we are using espeak>=1.49.3
 ESPEAK_143 = (EspeakBackend.version() >= (1, 49, 3))
 
-# True if we are using festival>=2.5
-FESTIVAL_25 = (FestivalBackend.version() >= (2, 5))
-
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     'inp, out', [
@@ -179,9 +176,7 @@ def test_issue_54(text):
         ('espeak', 'default', ['! ?', 'hey!'], ['! ?', 'heɪ!']),
         ('espeak', '!', ['! ?', 'hey!'], ['! ', 'heɪ!']),
         ('segments', 'default', ['! ?', 'hey!'], ['! ?', 'heːj!']),
-        ('segments', '!', ['! ?', 'hey!'], ValueError),
-        ('festival', 'default', ['! ?', 'hey!'], ['! ?', 'hhey!']),
-        ('festival', '!', ['! ?', 'hey!'], ['! ', 'hhey!'])])
+        ('segments', '!', ['! ?', 'hey!'], ValueError)])
 def test_issue55(backend, marks, text, expected):
     if marks == 'default':
         marks = Punctuation.default_marks()