Edinburgh Napier University

  We will present initial findings from our research which considers how Edinburgh’s (UK) festivals and tourism sectors can deliver sustainable community engagement. Our study applies co-designed participative action research (PAR) (Goebel et al., 2020), and placemaking (De Brito & Richards, 2017) within a public engagement methodology. Adopting this approach, we investigate the engagement of secondary stakeholders (Todd et al., 2017) of Edinburgh's historic centre, including community groups, residents, local businesses, and destination management organisations.
The festival city title is a recognised destination branding approach (Richards 2017). Edinburgh has claimed the title of ‘world leading festival city’ (Festivals Edinburgh, 2020). With its first festivals emerging in 1947, the city has a history of staging cultural internationalism through festivals (Jamieson & Todd, 2022). Today, eleven city-based festivals take place annually and form the Festivals Edinburgh strategic umbrella. The festivals bring documented positive economic and socio-cultural benefits to Edinburgh and Scotland (BOP Consulting and Festivals Edinburgh, 2023).
The Festivals Edinburgh (2020) ‘Festival City Vision to 2030’ commits to public spaces, infrastructure; inclusive cultural provision; and increased opportunities for communities. Nevertheless, the festivals’ popularity has encouraged critical discourses from some of Edinburgh’s secondary community stakeholders over negative socio-cultural and environmental impacts (McGillivray et al., 2020). Narratives have criticised perceived commercial agendas of staging year-round festivals in the city’s historic public spaces; commodification of Edinburgh’s historic centre for festivals and tourism (Quinn, 2005; Smith 2016); overtourism (Leask, 2019); misuse of cultural resources; and loss of affordable homes to the short-term rental market (Cockburn Association, 2020).
Our presentation will reflect upon how approaches, such as PAR and placemaking can inform strategies for festivals, tourism, community engagement, and the use of historic spaces in festival cities. We will conclude by reflecting upon the festival city construct ain its role as a conduit of sustainable cities and communities.