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The growth in number of events, their attendance, and associated media coverage have contributed to a corresponding groundswell of interest in event studies (Baum, Lockstone-Binney, & Robertson, 2013). Since the mid-2000s, in part owing to Getz’s (2007) seminal work in the area, event studies have been widely explored in research, beginning with a plethora of management-related studies and progressing beyond to conceptual and theoretical explorations (Lamond & Platt, 2016; Page & Connell, 2012; Thomas & Bowdin, 2012). The popularity of event studies is unsurprising given the ubiquitous nature of events, with the general populace exposed to a myriad of organized events, ranging from small-scale, private celebrations to highly commercialized sport mega-events. The ubiquitous nature of events is greatly helped by their ability to make use of existing infrastructure, supplemented by the use of temporary structures designed and built especially. Often, events make use of public space and infrastrucutre, which makes adequate and effective event management imperative to the local community’s acceptance of an event.

Stemming from this management focus is a preoccupation on events’ instrumentality—that is, their ability to add value to allied sectors—instead of an examination of an events’ intrinsic value (Baum et al., 2013; Getz, 2012). As a relatively young field in comparison to the disciplines it typically draws on for study, Baum et al.(2013) noted the lack of acceptance of events as a recognized field of study. This is an observation shared by other scholars (Lockstone-Binney & Ong, 2019). Although early studies of planned events …