ABSTRACT
The transnational forces involved in mega-events as well as their international character play a central role in the public imaginaries of these events. The global media exposure, the participation of many nation states, the collaboration of transnational organisations in structuring the event, and the role of transnational corporations in sponsorship roles all convey a strong sense that the mega-event is more about forces external to the host city than the city itself. The fact that mega-events are usually controlled by foreign organisations that have their own policies and expectations about how the mega-event should proceed can be contrasted with objectives the host city aims to achieve through the event, which are not always compatible. This external-internal dialectic or tension may be acutely felt by local residents in the preparation for the mega-event because of its timesensitive dominance of the urban agenda.
