ABSTRACT
Music festivals are among the most affected sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, despite their precarious situation, several Dutch festivals have managed to innovate and transform during the crisis. This chapter seeks to understand how these festivals managed to bounce forward. Based on three case studies, it identifies four key elements to bounce-forward resilience: the ability to utilise the creative skills of the organisation, to create value within the broader network/ecosystem in which the organisation operates, to prioritise non-economic values during a period of shock and disturbance, and to surpass critical thresholds. In applying these elements, the studied festivals use the competitive advantage of their typical (networked, flexible, creative) nature. This resilient nature includes the ability to transform, to create value within a broader community, and to serve societal needs in times of crisis.
