Conferences And Talks

Festivals and the City: The Festivalisation of Public Space

This session explored the significance of urban festivity, with a particular focus on how festivals affect the accessibility and inclusivity of public spaces. The contemporary festivalisation of cities is something that has been pursued enthusiastically by municipal authorities, but academics are more sceptical about this trend, linking it to the commodification, commercialisation and spectacularisation of urban space. Given the conference theme, this session explored if festivals and festivity can help break down established borders and invisible boundaries that restrict who uses public spaces and what those spaces are used for. Festivals can encourage social mixing in urban spaces, bringing together people from different backgrounds. However, the rise of commercial festivals and ticketed events means that festivals are also responsible for building borders that restrict the availability of parks, streets and squares. Whilst festivity may be temporally constrained, the effects festivals have on the spaces and places that host them, are not. So, we are also interested in exploring the enduring legacies of urban festivity.