Hollow Knight: Silksong is a challenging game, but not all of those challenges are present in boss fights. A number of its tougher portions involve arena battles against wave upon wave of regular enemies, as well as games of skill and dexterity. The Flea Festival is one such occasion.
Unlocked by progressing through the entire flea storyline, the festival tasks you with clearing high scores for three individual games, all of which could potentially tilt you. Thankfully, the reward is worth it: another Pale Oil to upgrade your signature needle weapon.
How To Unlock The Flea Festival
You’ll Need To Find Every Flea
To trigger the Flea Festival event and obtain your last Pale Oil, you must rescue every flea. If you’re having issues, know that the big flea to the right of the camp sells flea locations for multiple areas. If you need to track down just a few more, you can pinpoint their exact locations through these maps. After rescuing all of them, go back to Fleatopia in the Putrified Ducts, and speak to the ringmaster, Mooshka.
They’ll let you know that the festival is setting up, and to come back later. Go back to another bench and rest (I used the town of Bellhart, which did the trick), and then return to Fleatopia. If it still doesn’t trigger, don’t worry: wander around a bit through several fast travel points, rest at benches, and then go back.
After reaching Fleatopia again, the festivities will kick off after speaking to Mooshka, and you’ll unlock three additional minigames of skill. Beat the high score for all of these (listed on the board to the right of the Fleamaster) to obtain a Pale Oil. Although you can technically score higher than 30 (Juggle), 65 (Dodge), and Bounce (42) for each corresponding minigame, you only need to beat the records to earn the Pale Oil.
How To Beat Flea Juggle, Flea Dodge, & Flea Bounce
All Three Will Test You
Flea Juggle is arguably the hardest of the bunch, and can be incredibly maddening, depending on your playstyle. The goal is to literally “juggle” up little fleas as they jump on screen. Hitting them three times will “clear” them and count as a single point. You need to beat 30, which is totally doable with practice and patience. Getting used to how the physics work takes time, though, because it’s such a unique minigame.
To clear this minigame, you need to stick to the ground and swipe upward. It’s tempting to jump up and attack, but you’re actually throwing off the physics of the fleas that way. By simply running back and forth, you can juggle them with precision and to a rhythm, which will let you rack up those numbers. Also, using the Longclaw tool can help you hit fleas more easily. Depending on your playstyle, you may appreciate the Silkspeed Anklets for a quicker sprint across the stage.
Depending on your luck, Flea Dodge is either the easiest challenge of the lot or the hardest. To win, you need to survive as long as possible (for as much time as it takes 65 fleas to try to smash into you). This one is heavily tied to RNG, as giant fleas can appear and smash down platforms, punishing players who didn’t pogo off of his head and slowly fall back down as those platforms reconstitute.
I cleared this one by pogoing as much as possible, and staying at the top of the screen. This allows a little more room for error if you miss a jump, or too many enemies are on-screen at once (which tends to happen once you hit 50 points). Definitely pogo the big flea every time he appears, especially after his second charge: it can save you from falling into the void, and will allow time for the platforms to regenerate. Test out every single crest you have, and see which ones you’re more comfortable with in motion. Eventually, you will get a more forgiving RNG seed.
Flea Bounce is likely going to be considered the easiest by the community, and you’ve been training for it all game. To clear this one, you need to bounce off of fleas with your downward pogo attack, without falling into the void below. Make sure you have the double jump ability ready to go, as well as the Clawline skill.
You can clear this with any crest, but we used the Witch Crest for this one. The margin for error is really forgiving with its pogo, letting you jump off of multiple fleas with ease. You just need practice for this one: you’ll get there in time, especially if you try out all of the crests you have. For a bit of a morale boost, clear this one out first.
Where To Find The Nailmaster After The Flea Festival
He Left Bellhart And Went Somewhere Else
After clearing all three goals and hitting a piñata of sorts, you’ll be granted your final Pale Oil. The only catch is that the Nailmaster is out, and you need him actually to use that Pale Oil and max out your needle. You’ll find him in Shellwood, directly below the fast travel point. Head there, go right, downward through the trench, and then left. Climb up the platforms and go into the little alcove.
The piñata will also grant you rosaries as you hit it. Equip the Magnetite Brooch before hitting the piñata, to ensure that no rosaries go flying away.
Here, you’ll find a few enemies (if you’re having issues, bait the rolling ones off the ledge to the right to fight them 1v1): clear them out to save the Nailmaster. Exhaust all of his dialogue, and he’ll head back to Bellhart. Simply go there and enter his hut (the second bell on the top level) and hand over the last oil, and 450 Rosaries, and you’ll obtain the needle upgrade.
Upgrades like these in Hollow Knight: Silksong can make a world of difference between clearing a boss and spending a ton of time on it. If you need an extra boost, make sure you unlock the Flea Festival and earn that last Pale Oil.
Systems
- Released
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September 4, 2025
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
- Developer(s)
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Team Cherry
- Publisher(s)
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Team Cherry
- Engine
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Unity
