Festivals provides a realistic framework to explore how arts-based and community-based cultural festivals around the world thrive. Festivals highlights the big picture, as well at the intricate details that comprise the delivery of a festival to plan and execute a successful festival. Festivals will benefit experienced festival planners as well as those who aspire to enter or develop their skills in the dynamic field of festival making. Its approach is systematic, using case studies of numerous internationally iconic festivals and interviews with experts in the field. The book provides, for the first time, concrete evidence of how with proper planning, design and leadership, communities may benefit from hosting local festivals.