play host to

idiomatic phrase

: to serve as a host for (someone or something)

Each year, the city plays host to the film festival for one week.

As travel to the Third World has expanded, so, too, has concern about the damage wrought by mass tourism on the people and places that play host to wandering North Americans and Europeans.

—Ira Silver

St. John's meets No. 3-ranked Duke and the Big East rival Miami on the road, and will play host to No. 4 Syracuse, No. 13 Connecticut and surging Seton Hall at the Garden.

—Jon Drape

The grasslands play host to [=provide a home for] long-billed curlews and sage grouse, and eagles, osprey and coyotes scavenge the area.

—Kay Clark

Examples of play host to in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In May, the church played host to Sean Feucht, the political activist and Christian nationalist worship leader who held large gatherings during Covid-19. —David Gilbert, WIRED, 4 Nov. 2024

Down ballot, the 2nd Congressional District also plays host to one of the nation's closest congressional races, which pits incumbent Democratic Rep. Jared Golden against Republican state Rep. Austin Theriault. —Abc News, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2024

In 2024, the storied track again played host to a stunning drive and a back-to-back Brazil Grand Prix victory for the Dutchman, one that may have helped boost his championship run. —Kanzah Maktoum, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024

The city played host to the splashy Creative Cities Convention earlier this year where its merits were talked up by talent including Baby Reindeer’s Jessica Gunning and Big Talk boss Kenton Allen. —Max Goldbart, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above