

Welcome to ISFC 2026
Adopt, Adapt, Abandon
Welcome to the 7th annual online symposium on festival culture. Our symposium will focus on the theme ‘adopting, adapting and abandoning' in June 2026 (date and time to be confirmed).
See the CfP tab for more details.
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Key Dates:
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500-word Abstract Proposal Submission Deadline: 20th February 2026
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Completed Presentation Deadline Optional: 1st May 2026
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Expected Publication: 2026/2027
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Volume 4 of our peer-reviewed Journal of Festival Culture Inquiry and Analysis is out now. Please note that selected symposium papers will be considered for publishing.
Publishing 2026/2027
ISFC2026

The seventh annual online symposium will examine how we adopt, adapt, and abandon festive, celebratory, and ritual cultures. Among the questions to be addressed are: Who adopts the practices and values of another culture and how does it happen? How much of the original culture remains and how much of the newly adopted culture is maintained? How and/or why do people choose another culture as their own? And what aspects of the adopted culture are they learning? Under what conditions do people adapt to culture? And how are behaviours, attitudes and practices adapted to align with both the ‘home’ culture and adapted cultures? Do some people adapt to cultures better than others, and why? What might be the reasons for abandoning a culture? Are there any feelings or emotions that might lead to abandonment of a culture? Can family and/or peer pressure lead to abandonment?
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As we have done for themes covered by previous symposiums, we will also consider shared values, practices, customs, heritage, traditions, continuity, temporality, uniqueness, and differentiation within festive and celebratory cultures. The intention is to examine how culture is adopted, adapted, and abandoned, and how emotions and experiences are shared and/or autonomously experienced. Additionally, we will consider the degree to which adopted and adapted cultures can be transformed generationally. Camaraderie and the familial heritage associated with cultures also need to be taken into account.
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Proposals may also address, but are not limited to, the following themes:
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• Aesthetics
• Art, craft, and practice
• Ambivalence
• Carnivals (including diasporic carnivals)
• Celebration and leisure
• Competition, adjudication, and legacy
• Costumes
• Creative industries
• Culture and politics
• Cultural values and beliefs
• Dance and performance
• Embodiment
• Events
• Festivals
• Food culture
• Gatherings
• Learning and teaching (formal, non-formal and informal)
• Medieval culture (including historical re-enactment)
• Memory and nostalgia
• Music and sound
• Night festivals
• Religious culture (including faith, ideology, rites, and customs)
• Rituals
• Resistance, resilience, and activism
• Space and place
• Sporting celebrations
• Temporality and liminality
• Tradition and heritage
• Tourism
• Youth culture
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Abstracts of up to 500-word (only abstracts/papers that have not been previously presented and published will be considered) and biographies of no more than 100 words (in Word .doc format).
Key Dates:
Key Dates:
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500-word Abstract Proposal Submission Deadline: 20th February 2026
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Completed Presentation Deadline: 1st May 2026
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Expected Publication: 2026/2027
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ISFC 2026

The aim of this symposium is to organise and maintain a festival exchange network, focusing on cultural, community, literary, religious festivals, etc., and to publish papers around the theme after the symposium. We believe that a festival exchange will be an excellent resource – a means of developing supportive partnerships and understanding the historical, creative, and cultural links that may exist between different festivals. It represents an opportunity for academics to gain knowledge that could be of value to their research, and for those outside academia to become more aware of and engaged with academic research that could be a source of both inspiration and knowledge.​
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Disclaimer:
The views, opinions, and communications shared at the ISFC 25 virtual event may not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the organiser.
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It is the policy of the symposium that any attendee using foul language or being disruptive or both will be removed.
Terms:
We reserve the right to make alterations to our programme, date, etc. of the Symposium at any time without prior notice.
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Our goal is to create a positive learning environment and maintain a welcoming atmosphere. To make this symposium a success, we require that attendees be respectful of each other's opinions and refrain from inappropriate language or disruptive behaviour. We strive to create a safe space where everyone can express their ideas and ask questions without fear of judgement or criticism.
We encourage thoughtful and constructive dialogue that fosters learning and growth. We also ask that attendees practice active listening, and take advantage of the opportunity to exchange knowledge and grow together. We want to ensure that everyone can learn and share ideas in a safe and comfortable space. Let's make this a memorable learning event. See the following link for further details on event etiquette.

Coming soon

Coming Soon
FCRE
Chair
FCRE:ISFC 25 reserves the right to make changes to the program in the event of illness, technology failure, etc. Additionally, some sessions may run longer than scheduled.
The views, opinions, and communications shared at the ISFC 25 virtual event may not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the organiser. ​
