Postmodern approaches in curating and managing arts festivals in global cities

Festivals have always functioned as long-term investment for communities to build a sense of cohesiveness, attachment, lifestyle, values, active citizenship, well-being, and new directions for future. These special events also facilitate visitors to understand and appreciate the cultures of these communities. The growth of festivals in recent years have accelerated the process of 'festivalization' in global cities, which could lead to the weakening function of festivals to celebrate and build communities. With reference to case studies from four Asian global cities, this chapter discusses how the effect of postmodernism has brought about new trends and directions in the curatorial practices and management styles of arts festivals in global cities. The chapter concludes with recommendations on how managers of arts festivals in global cities could move forward with the current scenarios and challenges.