ABSTRACT

The purpose of this chapter is to analyse the ways in which outdoor cultural festivals improve the image and brand of their host city. The analysis is based on an extensive study of four major festivals held in one of the biggest cities in Eastern Poland – Lublin. The research employed both primary and secondary sources of data, of quantitative and qualitative type. The research showed the positive impact of festivals on the image of the city. They attracted a significant number of visitors from all over Poland, most of whom declared festival participation to be one of the key reasons for travelling to Lublin. These results correspond to a range of other investigations concerning Lublin’s image. They reveal that, in 2007, the city did not evoke any particular associations, while in 2015, it could be described as a “cultural melting pot”, offering a wide range of attractive events and activities. Moreover, the events in question provided the inhabitants with an opportunity to socialise as well as to be proud of the place they lived, thus strengthening local identities and self-confidence.