Events and the Local Community

To explore how large-scale events affect local communities, especially when those communities experience more disruption than benefit.

When a big event comes to a city like a music festival, a sports tournament, or an international summit it often brings promises of tourism, income, and cultural celebration. But for many people living nearby, the reality is not so simple. While events may help a city’s image, they can also leave lasting problems for the local community.

In this blog, we look at the impact of major events on local people. Do these events really support communities, or do they only serve organisers, sponsors, and visitors? And how can events be fairer to those who call the host city home?

The Problem Behind the Celebration

Big events often require major changes to public spaces, transport systems, and local policies. In theory, these changes are meant to improve the city. But in practice, they can push out low-income residents, raise prices, and disrupt daily life.

A clear example is the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016. While the games were promoted as a way to celebrate Brazil and boost the economy, over 77,000 people—mostly from poor communities—were displaced to make space for Olympic projects (Zimbalist, 2017). Public money was spent on stadiums instead of schools or hospitals, and many of the new buildings were left unused after the event.

This kind of impact is not unique to Rio. Thornham & Parry (2015) and Finkel et al. (2019) explain that top-down decision-making in event planning often leaves communities with little say. As a result, the people who live closest to an event can be the ones most negatively affected by it.

Local Voices Often Go Unheard

Many organisers claim that events are “for the community.” But who really gets to speak? Often, local residents are only informed after key decisions have already been made. This approach creates frustration and mistrust.

Quinn (2005) points out that cultural events, while claiming to represent local identity, can actually change or even erase that identity. For example, local traditions may be reshaped to fit tourist expectations, or venues once used by the community become commercial spaces.

In a study of event planning in Edinburgh, Webster and McKay (2016) found that residents felt excluded from decisions about festivals, even though those festivals used local culture in their branding. This shows that being “community-based” in name does not always mean being community-led in practice.

Who Actually Benefits?

In many cases, the biggest winners from events are sponsors, tourists, and investors not the people who live nearby (Misener & Mason, 2010). For example, ticket prices may be too high for locals. Roads may be closed, causing travel problems. Rents may rise as businesses and landlords try to take advantage of the event.

According to Smith (2012), the idea that all events bring economic benefit is often exaggerated. Many short-term gains are offset by long-term costs to housing, public services, and social trust. When event legacies are poorly planned, local people are left with fewer resources than before.

What Can Be Done?

Despite these issues, events can still be a positive force if they are planned differently. The key is to shift from a top-down model to one that shares power with local people.

Getz and Andersson (2010) argue that sustainable events must include genuine participation from residents not just as attendees, but as partners in decision-making. This can include public consultations before decisions are finalised, community representation in planning committees, and long-term investment in neighbourhoods affected by the event.

Social Impact Assessments (SIAs) can also help. These tools measure how events affect housing, jobs, transport, and culture, allowing organisers to adjust plans early. Used well, SIAs help balance benefits and costs more fairly.

Finally, events don’t need to be mega to be meaningful. Smaller, community-led festivals are often more flexible, less disruptive, and more connected to local values. As Duffy et al. (2021) note, such events tend to create more lasting and positive memories because they are built with not just in the community.

Toward Fairer Events

If events are to be truly sustainable, they must work with the people they affect most. This means listening to residents, respecting local culture, and making sure benefits are shared fairly.

Not all events will be perfect. But by changing how we plan and who we include, we can create events that don’t just visit a community but support it.

Reference

Derrett, R., 2003. Making sense of how festivals demonstrate a community's sense of place. Event Management, 8(1), pp.49-58. https://doi.org/10.3727/152599503108751694 

Quinn, B., 2005. Arts festivals and the city. Urban studies, 42(5-6), pp.927-943. https://doi.org/10.1080/00420980500107250


Finkel, R., Sharp, B. and Sweeney, M. eds., 2019. Accessibility, inclusion, and diversity in critical event studies (pp. 1-16). Abingdon: Routledge.


Zimbalist, A., 2017. Rio 2016: Olympic myths, hard realities. Brookings Institution Press. [online] Available at: http://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/30657 [Accessed 4 Jul. 2025].


Webster, E. and McKay, G., 2016. The Impact of British Music Festivals. www.dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3413836


Paramashanti, B.A., Dibley, M.J., Huda, T.M., Prabandari, Y.S. and Alam, N.A., 2023. Factors influencing breastfeeding continuation and formula feeding beyond six months in rural and urban households in Indonesia: a qualitative investigation. International Breastfeeding Journal, 18(1), p.48. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13006-023-00586-w


Duffy, M. and Mair, J., 2021. Future trajectories of festival research. Tourist studies, 21(1), pp.9-23. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468797621992933


Getz, D. and Andersson, T., 2010. Festival stakeholders: Exploring relationships and dependency through a four-country comparison. Journal of hospitality & tourism research, 34(4), pp.531-556. https://doi.org/10.1177/1096348010370862


Misener, L. and Mason, D., 2010. Towards a community centred approach to corporate community involvement in the sporting events agenda1. Journal of Management & Organization, 16(4), pp.495-514. https://doi.org/10.5172/jmo.2010.16.4.495


Thornham, H. and Parry, K., 2015. Constructing communities: the community centre as contested site. Community development journal, 50(1), pp.24-39. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdj/bst088

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