Organizing abundance and shuffling at festivals: the Ferrara Buskers Festival case

Abstract

This paper examines how festivals organize the abundance of their offerings. We argue that festivals organize this abundance differently depending on the interplay between organizers, artists, and festivalgoers as they negotiate their respective autonomy. The concept of ‘shuffling,’ inspired by digital music listening, serves as a framework to empirically explore this dynamic within the context of the Ferrara Buskers Festival (FBF). Drawing on archival material and interviews with the festival's organizers, the paper analyzes the FBF's evolution from a free-access street performance event to a ticketed, curated festival with reduced attendance. Over its 36-year history, the FBF has demonstrated shifting approaches to organizing abundance—from fostering serendipitous engagement to providing prearranged experiences—shaped by the varying roles of organizers, artists, and audience members. This study enhances festival literature by highlighting the importance of different approaches to organizing abundance in understanding the diversity of festivals across time and space. Besides, it enhances understanding of the shuffling dynamic at festivals, offering theoretical and methodological insights.