ABSTRACT
This introduction chapter offers some initial thoughts on the definitions and roles of festivals. It also provides an overview of this book. The book examines developments in research in the festival sector literature, providing a detailed investigation of the methods and paradigms that inform research in this field and demonstrating the predominance of quantitative methods. It provides a theoretical and practical framework within which value issues can be addressed, using the dimensions of people, the economy and the environment. The book also examines the economic evaluation of festivals, highlighting the challenges associated with developing techniques which give accurate results while at the same time being practical for policymakers making decisions on the allocation of scarce resources. It demonstrates how harm minimisation and health promotion activities can reduce reliance on the healthcare system and thus reduce the burden on the wider community. The book illustrates how the festival organisers were able to work through obstacles and encourage positive cross-community social interactions.
