Festivals and events in emergent economies: A sea change, and for whom?

This paper aims to briefly consider the socio-political and economic ramifications of mega event hosting in emergent economies. Conceptual. The mega event landscape is undergoing significant change over the medium term. However, current trends suggest little of the dysfunction of prior mega event hosting will automatically disappear with a change of geographic focus to emergent economies. Indeed, whilst location may change, cultural content, organisation and, critically, uneven socio-economic outcomes appear depressingly resistant to change. There is, therefore, an opportunity to refashion the hosting of mega events in ways which are more embedded, locally oriented, inclusive and diverse, but only if the objectives and metrics of success are wider than the purely financial or economic-developmental. The paper takes a historic overview of weaknesses in prior mega event hosting to suggest that a thoughtful consideration of the organisation and objectives of events held in emerging economies is necessary if wider benefits and a more diverse and sustainable event landscape are to be achieved.