Events and Politics (Routledge How Events Transform Society series)

Events and Politics offers students a cutting-edge, intellectually stimulating, and accessible exploration of the deeply intertwined relationship between events and political power.

The book includes 31 chapters from global academics, structured around theoretical and practical considerations based on real-life events such as the Olympic Games and Dinard’s Festival of British Cinema, managerial and policy implications, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Covering broad themes such as soft power, propaganda, sportswashing, human rights, and governance, the book provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the political dimensions of events. Through historical analysis, case studies, and theoretical insights, authors challenge the notion of events as neutral spaces, highlighting how stakeholder interests, geopolitical ambitions, and governance structures influence bidding, planning, and legacy outcomes.

With chapter aims, quizzes, and debate questions, this highly engaging and comprehensive book is an essential reading and teaching resource for all students and lecturers of events studies, as well as policymakers in the events industry.

Mike Duignan is a Professeur at the Sorbonne, University of Paris 1 (Pantheon-Sorbonne) and Editor-in-Chief of Event Management Journal. Formerly, he was an Associate Professor and Department Chair of the Department of Events at the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey, where he was also the Director of the Observatory for Human Rights and Major Events. For the past 15 years, Mike has been researching, analysing, commentating, writing, publishing, and teaching on the economics and social impacts of staging major events.