ABSTRACT
Music festivals have an important role in the development of tourism destinations. The success of these events depends not only on the satisfaction of visitors but also on the fulfilment of hosts’ expectations. Although there has been an increase in the research on the impacts of music festivals, previous studies have mainly been restricted to the impacts on the community. The present chapter extends previous research by analyzing the hosts’ perceptions of the impacts of a music festival (Milhões de Festa Festival), held in a local community (Barcelos) located in the north of Portugal, namely personal benefits and impacts on the community, and the factors influencing these perceptions. A questionnaire survey was carried out among residents (N = 234). Two Principal Component Analyses and five multivariate regression models were used to analyze the data. Results reveal that residents perceive more impacts on the community than personal benefits. Regarding the impacts on the community, they perceive more positive than negative impacts, and sociocultural benefits are the most observed. Although the social interaction is very low, it has a positive influence on the hosts’ perception of positive festival impacts. The chapter ends with contributions and practical implications for the managers of music festivals.
