Mega-events: indicators of global urban archipelago from a cultural perspective based on consumption of recreational events

Abstract

In the present, cities do not only compete to attract economic flows, but also particular forms of cultural capital (symbols, images, experiences) that emphasize the identity and cosmopolitan value of these. Events and cultural festivals that are often unique city-marketing strategies can also be used as indicators in statistical analyses to assess the global urban system from the cultural perspective that is contextualized in today's consumer society. Following a quantitative methodology that includes various statistical analyses, the results confirm two important facts: On the one hand, the need to study the global urban system from a multidimensional perspective, beyond economic criteria; on the other hand, the need to observe not only the so-called global cities, widely identified in the scientific literature, but also in those secondary cities that are positioned on the global stage through these events.