GCDN Annual Convening – Los Angeles 2025

Cities often turn to large-scale cultural infrastructure to drive urban renewal, but can festivals—ephemeral by nature—serve as equally powerful anchors? Unlike permanent institutions, festivals offer a flexible, participatory approach to shaping narratives of place, fostering local engagement, and catalyzing cultural and economic revitalization. Yet, their impermanence raises a key question: can they leave a lasting imprint that aligns with long-term cultural and urban development goals?

This session examines the role of festivals in urban redevelopment, weighing their potential to embed cultural identity against their transient nature. How are cities leveraging festivals to reimagine their cultural landscapes? When does cultural programming prove to be the most effective tool for transformation, and when does it give rise to lasting institutions or infrastructure? And how can cities best calibrate these approaches to align with their broader vision for urban and cultural life?