Research on the Impact of Cultural Festivals on Urban Regeneration

-- A Case Study of Edinburgh as A Festival City

Abstract

In recent years, an increasing number of cultural festivals have been organized around the world with the aim of revitalizing urban economies, promoting creative industries, enhancing urban social cohesion, achieving urban regeneration, and introducing or repositioning cities in an increasingly competitive global stage. Examples of using cultural festivals for urban regeneration include The Holland Festival that set up in 1947 in order to stimulate economic development of Amsterdam, the Notting Hill carnival that regularly attracts over 1 million visitors, the West End Festival in Glasgow that promote tourism development in the city, and so on. Cultural festivals have now become one of the most popular way of culturally-led urban renewal strategies. In this paper the author takes Edinburgh, which is famous for its annual festivals, as a case study. The results show that while cultural festivals bring many positive effects to urban development, they may also have the potential to bring negative effects to cities. Therefore, it is essential for cultural policymaker to carefully balance the needs of city residents and visitors in order to maximize the positive impact of the festival.