Festival hiatus, resilience and innovation during COVID-19: learnings from the Edinburgh festivals

PurposeIn this paper, the authors explore how Edinburgh's key Festivals have adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic. Their response presents the emergence of more innovative festival delivery models and a different imagining of the festival space.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use a qualitative mixed methods research design involving 13 in-depth semi-structured interviews with Edinburgh's Festival Directors and other cultural and policy stakeholders as part of a University-funded stand-alone research project. The interviews were supplemented with participant observation at festivals virtually and in-person to experience new and emerging formats of festival content delivery, adherence to Scottish Government guidelines on COVID-19 safety, and to experience attending festivals during a pandemic.FindingsThe authors present findings on how Edinburgh's Festivals have responded to Covid-19 and how they have adapted – and in some cases reimagined – their business models to survive.Originality/valueThe authors propose a new theoretical framework that establishes a model for how festivals can approach risk management within their business model, focused on the ‘3R's’ – respond, resilience and reimagine –with communication and support being central to this framework.