Festival Experience Research Articles

Exploring the Influence of Food Culture Attributes on Visitor Satisfaction and Motivations at Food Festivals

This study examines the impact of food culture aspects such as taste, display, and preparation process on visitor satisfaction and motivation during food festivals. Data from 150 participants were analyzed utilizing SPSS 25 for data analysis. The study uses Spearman's Rank Correlation, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Chi-Square testing to investigate how these characteristics influence festival experiences. Significant positive correlations were found using Spearman's Rank Correlation, taste had a strong correlation with visitor satisfaction (ρ = 0.65,p = 0.01) and motivation (ρ = 0.60,p = 0.02), while display also had a moderately positive correlation with both (ρ = 0.55,p = 0.05) satisfaction and motivation (ρ = 0.50,p = 0.04). The association for the preparation process, however, was not statistically significant and was much weaker. It was established that CFA had high dependability with estimates of 0.78 for taste, 0.85 for display, and 0.80 for the preparation procedure, all of which met high CR and AVE values. The relationships between aspects of food culture and visitor outcomes were evaluated using the Chi-Square Test. Taste was found to have significant correlations with motivation (χ² = 10.45, p = 0.05) and satisfaction. While the display was only significantly connected with satisfaction (χ² = 7.89, p = 0.10), the preparation process was strongly associated with satisfaction (χ² = 12.34, p = 0.03). These results emphasize how important taste is to improving visitor experiences and show how particular characteristics of food cultures can affect festivalgoers' motivation and level of satisfaction. The study found that taste has a substantial impact on both satisfaction and motivation, emphasizing its importance for good event planning and increased attendee involvement.

Exploring nuances of liminality: Unbridled, oriented, and restrained liminality in cultural rituals

Numerous consumption experiences have been conceptualized as rituals, comprising pre-liminal, liminal, and post-liminal stages. While prior research has proposed interconnections between these stages, it has been limited in addressing nuanced variations within the liminal stage. Specifically, this study examines the interaction between the pre-liminal and liminal stages. Through a longitudinal and multi-sited approach, incorporating visual anthropology and participant interviews at rock music festivals, we demonstrate that consumers can undergo three types of liminality—unbridled, oriented, and restrained liminality—depending on their approach to preparation and anticipation. While some meticulously prepare for the festival experience, others embrace spontaneity. Similarly, while some eagerly anticipate the festival with positivity, others harbor negative expectations. This research contributes a nuanced understanding of liminality within diverse consumer trajectories.

Visiting Friends and Relatives Travel: Unveiling Hidden Drivers Behind Festival Attendance and Experience

This research note unveils a pivotal, yet underexplored, aspect of festival attendance: the impact of visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel. Employing data from a 2019 attendee survey at the Taste of Little Italy Festival, Toronto, it reveals that 23.3% of respondents were engaged in VFR travel, exhibiting higher spending, yet often providing lower evaluations of their festival experience. The nuanced relationship between VFR travel, spending patterns, and festival experience opens a new avenue for exploration for festival researchers and practitioners. This note aims to encourage festival researchers and practitioners to consider the implications of VFR. A more comprehensive understanding of this topic could reveal strategies to engage this stable demand source, influencing not only event management strategies but also enhancing cultural engagement and community attachment. The note underscores the opportunity for festivals to engage residents and their visitors to optimize both economic and experiential outcomes.

Storytelling for Festival Experiences: A Teaching and Learning Note for the Special Issue, Festivals and Storytelling

For event management success, event management students must understand and develop skills relating to storyline development for festival (and event) experiences. However, as this teaching and learning note explains, students may not be fully developing their theoretical understanding and how to apply that understanding in practice due to their growing reliance on non-academic online resources. Teaching notes offer practical guidance for delivering and teaching various topics but are not often directed towards students. This article adapts the traditional teaching note to highlight this issue and offers a dual teaching and learning note to better support student learning and skills development.

The Current State of Festival Storytelling Research (1980‐2024): Introduction to the Special Issue, Festivals and Storytelling

Over the last few decades, storytelling, as a subject for study, has grown exponentially across a number of interdisciplinary fields. However, it remains underdeveloped in event management research, and specifically concerning festival experiences. Following a critical review of the existing research that has contributed to current understanding of storytelling within festival contexts and highlighting the key arguments of these publications, this article provides a comprehensive overview of how storytelling is currently understood within festival contexts. Extending the literature, this article introduces the contributing articles of the Special Issue, which demonstrate the value of storytelling for audiences, hosts, and researchers. This article closes with a call for more research into storytelling within festival contexts and encourages future studies to address the identified gaps to help progress understanding of storytelling, its practice and dynamics, and its value for festival experiences.

Unraveling the difference mechanism of authenticity experience in determining antecedents and consequences of destination loyalty

ABSTRACT Taiwan’s music festival landscape has blossomed, attracting global music enthusiasts with its cultural richness and diverse offerings. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), a survey of festival-goers revealed the intricate relationships among factors like skill performance, self-congruence, ambiance, and consumer interaction, shaping authenticity, satisfaction, destination loyalty, and behavioral intentions. Interestingly, memory was identified as a moderating role, which interlinking satisfaction, behavioral intentions, and destination loyalty. These findings provide both theoretical insights and practical strategies for enhancing festival experiences and cultivating destination loyalty within Taiwan’s thriving music scene.

Spur of the moment: the unintended consequences of excessive food purchases and food waste during Ramadan

PurposeFood waste, a global conundrum with adverse socioeconomic and environmental implications, occurs when more money is spent on food during occasions akin to Ramadan. This study examines the moderating role of antecedents (festive experience, nostalgic food memory, perceived scarcity, and religiosity) to understand the impacts of excessive food buying on Ramadan food waste.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional survey was performed with a self-administered questionnaire using Google Forms to gather data on social media. Notably, 349 valid responses were analysed via Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4 for model development and hypothesis testing.FindingsFestive experience, nostalgic memory, and perceived food scarcity could explain excessive buying behaviour. In this vein, excessive food buying contributed to Ramadan food waste. Meanwhile, religiosity was found to moderate excessive food-buying behaviour.Practical implicationsThe empirical findings offered useful insights for practitioners and policymakers to implement optimal marketing strategies and interventions that improve responsible consumption and minimise food waste.Originality/valueThis study provided a sound understanding of consumer buying behaviour during Ramadan regarding food waste and overconsumption. The current work delineated the role of descriptive, injunctive norms and cognitive dissonance in shaping buying behaviour during Ramadan.

STUDY OF ARTISTIC FOLK EDUCATION AS A CONDITION FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PEDAGOGICAL TEACHING

The article is devoted to the problem of inconsistencies in the implementation of art education in the State Standard of General Secondary Education of Ukraine. To achieve this goal, the task was set to demonstrate the importance of public art education as the basis for the education of young people. The study was conducted using the methods of theoretical, empirical research and general methods of scientific research.The article analyzes the forms of non-formal art education introduced by cultural and artistic figures in 2004. Restoring the experience of ethnic festivals and preserving the traditions of artistic families becomes the basis for the implementation of the state standard of general secondary education. The comparative analysis demonstrates the importance of combining different approaches in the formation of public education in the country, preserving the spiritual, moral and ideological positions of young people. The experience of leading artistic families in popularizing art education in the region is analyzed. The influence of prominent artists on the formation of interest in Ukrainian culture among international partners is studied. An example of the assimilation of individual experience of artists to the challenges of life is given.The conclusions summarize the importance of combining art and public education for the formation of key competencies, harmonious personal development, and the reproduction of the sacred meaning of art education. It has been shown that the art education sector has a number of gaps in its implementation and future development. The task of the teacher is to develop the spiritual and psychological spheres of the individual; actualization of historical, cultural, artistic or ethnographic influence; formation of skills to look for hidden meaning in the language of art: understanding the non-verbal dialogue with the author, learning to decipher the composition code and learning to understand the principle of the universe, the laws of the world continuum through art; creating parallels during lessons, trying to fill the entire educational space with art (musical minutes during breaks, musical accompaniment during intellectual tasks, the use of stimulating visual content in the space of the educational institution, visiting the workshops of artists and sculptors, holding master classes in museums), which enhances informal education.It is assumed that the creation of an artistic educational product should have a gender aspect in the popularization of influence, the economic background that always surrounds the student and determines his or her artistic and aesthetic preferences. A successful combination of didactic tools of influence and the achievements of Ukrainian folk art can become a source for implementing a comprehensive process of psychotherapy for young people in the context of war and postwar.

Topic modelling of festival-visitors' opinions: A case study of Sziget Festival

The Sziget Festival is one of Europe’s biggest music events, held every August on the Óbuda Island in Budapest. The elements of festival experiences were analysed through social media opinions of Sziget Festival attendees published between 1 January 2014 and 31 July 2022, using structural topic model (STM) computer algorithm and latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA). Our findings support existing literature, showing that festival experiences are cognitive-affective in nature with key elements of socialisation, environment, and festival value, some of which are inter-connected. Although this kind of research is rare in tourism, our paper argues for its usefulness and provides an example of application, using consumer data to facilitate decision-making and support the festival industry. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research, as well as incorporating LDA with other qualitative and quantitative research.

Experience, satisfaction and loyalty in the context of online music festivals in China

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has prompted the fast growth of online music festivals. This paper explores how festivalgoers' experience affects their satisfaction and drives their loyalty to re-attend online music festivals in China.Design/methodology/approachBased on an understanding of the music festival experience and the characteristics of live-streamed performances, this paper investigates five factors that affect festivalgoers' satisfaction and loyalty, namely the music experience, ambience experience, separation experience, social experience and novelty experience. The relationships between festivalgoers' experience, satisfaction and loyalty are also explored using structural equation modelling techniques.FindingsThe empirical results suggest that four of the above-mentioned five factors of the online music festival experience directly affect festivalgoers' satisfaction and loyalty. The online mode is a rapid adaptation of and preferred alternative to offline music festivals, whilst the creation of the experience, along with satisfaction with and loyalty to the online music festival, are determined by different factors compared to offline modes. Overall festival satisfaction positively enhances the relationship between festivalgoers' experience and loyalty to online music festivals.Practical implicationsThis study offers a range of practical and managerial implications for organisers of online music festival, similar activities such as live-streaming concerts and stage performances and hybrid events.Originality/valueThis study explores a phenomenon that has evolved quickly since COVID-19 and will, potentially, have an ongoing and enduring impact on the music festival sector. It differentiates the understanding of festivalgoers' experience in online and offline modes, which is a new addition to the literature. It also enriches the theoretical understanding of the experience of, satisfaction with and loyalty to online music festivals.

Cooperation Between the USSR and India in the 1950-1960s: The First Youth and Student Visits

In the 21st century, the Russian Federation and the Republic of India have great scientific and educational potential. The particularly privileged strategic partnership between the two states is aimed, among other things, at the development and innovations of scientific and educational cooperation, which has stable traditions laid down in the second half of the last century. It was during this period that the first connections were established between students and youth of the two countries. The VI World Festival of Youth and Students, held in Moscow in 1957, was the starting point for building youth cooperation, the activities of the International Youth Tourism Bureau “Sputnik,” and the first tourist trips of Soviet students to India. The relevance of the article is determined by the appeal of the interuniversity team of authors of the RUDN University, MGIMO University and Lipetsk State Pedagogical P. P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky University to the topic that had not previously been the subject of comprehensive research either in Russia or in India. The purpose of this study is to analyze the goals, forms of organization and significance of the Soviet-Indian youth and student partnership in the late 1950s - early 1960s on the basis of materials from the Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History that were not involved in scientific circulation. The authors use a constructivist approach demonstrating the connection between society and politics and revealing the impact of international cooperation on the institutionalization, development of scientific and educational partnership between the USSR and India at the interstate and interinstitutional levels. The Khrushchev “thaw” period laid the foundations for Soviet-Indian cooperation between the two states in the field of higher education, youth and student academic exchange and tourism. In the 21st century, the experience of the world festivals of youth and students, the work of the “Sputnik” bureau is relevant, since the Republic of India is one of the important and priority partners for the Russian Federation. Students of Modern Russia also face the task of establishing and developing academic and cultural ties with India, increasing the prestige of the country in the eyes of Indians and the whole world.

The experience of a festival during the COVID-19 pandemic: Safety within the festivalscape

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the perception of safety became a real issue in the minds of the festival consumer. Because of this, festival producers had to manage the expectation that proper precautionary measures are in place to protect festival attendees. Thus, the experience of the festivalscape has changed where festival attendees are more aware of safety in their festival environment. Limited prior studies have included safety in the festivalscape though there are calls to include safety as an additional factor. Thus, the purpose of this research is to determine whether safety indeed plays a significant role in the festivalscape when predicting festival success (revisit intention). To achieve this objective, researchers surveyed craft beer festival attendees in Boone, North Carolina, USA on their festivalscape experiences including safety, facility, beverage quality, convenience, and staff quality. Outcomes of festival experiences included the success factors affective response and revisit intention.

Constraints and Facilitators, Universal Design and Event Experience: Accessibility of Facilities at a Food Festival

Accessibility barriers in festivals inhibit engaging festival experiences for the general public. This study aimed to examine the accessibility of facilities at the Macau Food Festival (MFF) by applying the theories of leisure constraints and facilitators, leisure negotiation and Universal Design (UD) principles. Participant observation and qualitative semi-structured interviews with 25 festival participants were conducted. Findings revealed mixed perceptions of the facilities. Several aspects such as unclear festival layout and insufficient toilets were contrary to UD principles and constrained visitors’ engagement. However, online payment devices and shuttle buses facilitated festival engagement. Accessibility played an important role in influencing visitors’ experiences and behavioural outcomes such as revisit intention, word-of-mouth, and leisure negotiation strategies. This study provides a new approach for evaluating the accessibility of facilities in food festivals. Practical implications regarding accessibility of festival and event facilities are suggested along with numerous avenues for future research.

Unveiling the Experiences at Iranian Food Events: A Qualitative Approach and Conceptual Framework

This study aims to explore the experiences sought by visitors in Iranian food festivals, addressing a research gap in understanding successful food events from the customer's perspective, particularly in the Middle East. The research was conducted in Tehran, Iran, using focus groups as the research method, with the participation of twenty-eight food event visitors. This study reveals that visitors' experiences in food events encompass four components: food sensory, learning, culture, and entertainment. Built on the experience economy model, this study proposes a preliminary conceptual framework which categorizes the four components of food festival experience into two dimensions: the area of interest and the level of engagement. The findings of this research offer valuable insights for event planners to enhance visitors' experiences at food events hosted in Middle Eastern countries.

How technology-enhanced experience affects festival host destination attitude and word-of-mouth? Evidence from Taiwan

ABSTRACT This study explores the technology-enhanced tourist experience in a festival context to address destination attitude and word-of-mouth towards a destination. Drawing specifically from the cognitive -affective-behavioural framework, we propose and empirically examine a model that integrates perceived novelty, as the cognitive component. Joy, and positive surprise were treated as the affective antecedents of memorable tourism experience. Memorable tourism experience was treated as the affective component, and attitude towards the destination and word-of-mouth were treated as the behavioural component. Data were collected from 265 visitors who attended the 2019 Taiwan Lantern Festival, which innovatively employed advanced drone technology to create an unprecedented visitor experience. Our results indicate that perceived novelty is positively related with joy and positive surprise, and all three are further positively related with memorable tourism experiences. Memorable tourism experiences demonstrate positive spill-over effects of festival experience on attitudes and word-of-mouth towards the host destination. Our results confirm the value of novelty gained from the technology-enhanced tourist experience, the critical role of positive surprise as the key emotional antecedent to memorable tourism experiences and the spill-over effects of festival experience.

Online festival experiences, eventscapes and cultural value: insights on the dilemmas faced by two South African festivals during COVID-19

ABSTRACT As in many countries, lockdown measures to control the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa resulted in the large-scale cancellation of cultural festivals. To preserve business continuity, many festivals shifted to online events to continue providing value for audiences, sponsors and artists. This paper focuses on the experiences of two of the oldest and largest mixed festivals in the country: The National Arts Festival and the Klein Karoo Nationale Kunstefees. Both festivals adapted by shifting online, necessitating significant programme, business model, and management innovation. Using the framework provided by the literature on visitor leisure experiences and e-eventscapes, the paper questions how arts festivals have achieved new e-eventscapes alongside providing online cultural programming. The paper uses a mixed methods research approach to analyse the experiences of festival managers and audiences in the differing approaches developed by the two festivals. Theoretical and practical implications from the study are discussed in the conclusions.

Grotesque and transformative practices: a new understanding of transformational festival experience

ABSTRACT Unconventional expression styles in transformational festivals closely link to personal transformation. However, existing research has mainly focused on exploring the environmental factors that stimulate unconventional self-expression, neglecting the process through which individuals achieve personal transformation via such expressions. This study addresses this theoretical gap by investigating how individuals achieve personal transformation through unconventional self-expression, using Burning Man as a case study. Specifically, the study utilises visual materials from Burning Man's official Instagram account and applies Bakhtin's analysis of grotesque imagery to probe the link between unconventional self-expression and personal transformation. The findings indicate that personal transformation occurs through continuous transformative practices within unconventional self-expression, encompassing both external and internal transformation. Furthermore, personal transformation thrives on collective participation, enabling individuals to cultivate their unique transformation style within the collective landscape of transformative practices. The study contributes to a new theoretical understanding of transformational festivals by exploring the pathways to personal transformation through unconventional self-expression. It also presents an innovative application of Bakhtin's theory of grotesque in this context, adding to the existing body of knowledge. Additionally, practical recommendations for festival organizers are made to enhance participants' festival experiences and foster their personal transformation.

Examining the antecedents and outcomes of satisfaction in film festival context: Further evidence of validity of the eudaimonic feelings construct

Within festivals and events, film festivals are among the fastest growing cultural events in the world and are recognised as bringing environmental, sociocultural and economic benefits to host tourism destinations including enhanced well-being. These festivals are an important marketing strategy for developing destination image and attracting interest towards a destination. However, there are limited studies on the film festival experience exploring the antecedents of participants’ satisfaction. This study examines the relationship between eudaimonic feelings, novelty, local culture, nostalgia, perceived quality, satisfaction, and behavioural intentions. Data were gathered during the last 3 days of the Penedo Film in the City of Penedo, Northeast Brazil using a questionnaire. A total of 97 valid questionnaires were collected from the festival attendees. Findings show that only eudaimonic feelings and perceived quality are predictors of satisfaction. To the best of authors knowledge, this study is the first to examine the perceived experience of participants in a film festival context from a positive psychology perspective and providing further empirical support for construct validity of eudaimonic feelings. The findings contribute to the existing tourism literature on film festivals by identifying key antecedents (eudaimonic feelings and perceived quality) and outcomes (behavioural intentions) of satisfaction with film festival. One of the main managerial implications includes engaging film festival participants in co-creation processes and in promoting group discussions about a specific movie with an appealing and social relevant theme.

Scientist encounters: Igniting parental aspirations to support young scientists ‐ a pilot study

This paper reports findings from a pilot study undertaken at the Lancashire Science Festival to explore the impact of interacting with a scientist on parents??? attitudes towards their child pursuing a career that involves science. Parents were asked a series of questions about their science festival experience and to provide some demographic information. The key finding was that half of the respondents reported that meeting a scientist had made them more likely to think that their child could pursue a career related to science. The attitudinal shift was particularly prevalent amongst parents from low-participation backgrounds. This preliminary finding suggests that interactions between scientists and parents at public science events may offer an avenue by which to foster positive perceptions of science as a career path amongst under-represented groups.

Laugh—cry, eat—drink, dance! Tracing belonging through cartographies of joy

SummaryThis article explores joy, identity, and belonging at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival through an ethnographic project inviting festgoers and staff members to draw, sketch, or map their experiences and journeys through festival landscapes. Building on scholarship in visual, humanistic, and post‐humanist anthropology, we view map‐making as an emergent strategy for performative epistemology, a way of making and thinking together. In a festival with a strong visual culture that centers African American music and cultural heritage, drawings often reflect racialized landscapes and subjectivities. Maps reveal the centrality of affect in festival experiences while affording insights into what makes joy complicated. For some, festival sociality brings those tensions to the fore while making it possible for others to imagine a world otherwise.