The carnivalesque and event evolution: a study of the Beltane Fire Festival

Matheson, Catherine M; Tinsley, Ross

Abstract

This paper centres on the Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. The objectives are to: first, identify the stages of the festival’s evolution and their respective characteristics; second, distinguish features corresponding to the carnivalesque; and, finally, examine the changes in event evolution, particularly regulatory interventions, and their effect. A qualitative approach comprising interviews with internal and external festival stakeholders was utilised. It is argued that there are three stages in the festival’s evolution: revival and early development; development and regulation; and, maturation. The characteristics of these evolutionary stages are identified. As the festival has developed and been subject to increasing regulation, features of the carnivalesque have been reduced.

Citation

Matheson, C. M., & Tinsley, R. (2016). The carnivalesque and event evolution: a study of the Beltane Fire Festival. Leisure Studies, 35(1), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2014.962591

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 21, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Oct 20, 2014
• Publication Date: 2016
• Deposit Date: Feb 4, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 29, 2017
• Print ISSN: 0261-4367
• Electronic ISSN: 1466-4496
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 35
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 1-27
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2014.962591
• Keywords: Carnivalesque; festival; regulation; evolution
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/9501
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2014.962591