Festival hiatus, resilience and innovation during COVID-19: learnings from the Edinburgh festivals

Ali-Knight, Jane; Kerr, Gary; Stewart, Hannah; Holmes, Kirsten

Abstract

Purpose
In this paper, we explore how Edinburgh’s key Festivals have adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their response presents the emergence of more innovative festival delivery models and a different imagining of the festival space.

Design/methodology/ approach
We use a qualitative mixed methods research design involving 13 in-depth semi-structured interviews with Edinburgh’s Festival Directors and other cultural and policy stakeholders as part of a University--funded stand-alone research project. The interviews were supplemented with participant observation at festivals virtually and in-person to experience new and emerging formats of festival content delivery, adherence to Scottish Government guidelines on COVID-19 safety, and to experience attending festivals during a pandemic.

Findings
We present findings on how Edinburgh’s Festivals have responded to COVID-19 and how they have adapted – and in some cases reimagined - their business models to survive.

Originality
We propose a new theoretical framework that establishes a model for how festivals can approach risk management within their business model, focused on the “3R’s” – Respond, Resilience, and Reimagine - with Communication and Support being central to this framework.

Citation

Ali-Knight, J., Kerr, G., Stewart, H., & Holmes, K. (2023). Festival hiatus, resilience and innovation during COVID-19: learnings from the Edinburgh festivals. International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 14(2), 170-188. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijefm-08-2022-0068

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 23, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Jun 6, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-06
• Deposit Date: Mar 27, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 6, 2023
• Journal: International Journal of Event and Festival Management
• Print ISSN: 1758-2954
• Publisher: Emerald
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 14
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 170-188
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/ijefm-08-2022-0068
• Keywords: Edinburgh Festivals, Covid-19, Hiatus, innovation, festival life-cycles