Global Recognition for Festivals & Events: IFEA Names 2025 World Festival & Event Cities
The International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) – The Premier Association Supporting and Enabling Festival and Event Professionals Worldwide – announced and recognized the 2025 recipients of their prestigious “IFEA World Festival & Event City” award, during the IFEA Annual Convention & Expo presented by atVenu in Palm Springs, California, on September 22, 2025.
The IFEA World Festival & Event City Award was created to encourage, support, and recognize positive local environments for festivals and events worldwide. Festivals and events generate tremendous cultural, social, and economic value for the communities they serve, but long-term success depends on strong partnerships and support at every level.
“The IFEA is proud to recognize and shine a spotlight on those cities and markets that have invested in building environments where festivals and events can thrive,” said IFEA President & CEO Steven Wood Schmader, CFEE, during the award presentations. “Through this program, we aim to strengthen the dialogue between events and cities around the globe—at a time when that connection has never been more important. The high caliber of this year’s entries highlights the powerful role that festivals and events play in shaping vibrant, sustainable communities. The cities being honored in 2025 are setting strong examples we hope others will follow.”
Entries were reviewed by an international panel of industry experts, making this recognition the only global honor of its kind. Each city’s submission was evaluated on a comprehensive range of criteria, including:
- Community Overview – providing the judges with a deeper understanding of each community and the infrastructure in place to host and/or support those producing and attending festivals and events.
- Community Festivals & Events – illustrating the diversity and success of current festivals and events serving each market’s residents and visitors.
- City / Government Support of Festivals & Events – demonstrating the strength and depth of support from each applicant city and other governmental bodies (county, state, taxing districts, etc.) as it pertains to festivals and events.
- Non-Governmental Community Support of Festivals & Events – highlighting the commitment and direct support provided by community individuals and organizations. Without this support, most festivals and events could not achieve the level of success that these important partnerships help to build.
- Market Leveraging of the “Community Capital” Created by Festivals & Events – demonstrating how the city and its partners maximize the branding and marketing opportunities provided by festivals and events to generate return in other areas.
- Extra Credit – an opportunity for each city to highlight additional programs, services, and event-related resources not covered in the above categories (e.g., local university event management programs, certified professionals, shared event-resource programs, etc.).
2025 IFEA World Festival & Event City Recipients
The IFEA is proud to recognize the following cities as 2025 IFEA World Festival & Event Cities, each exemplifying a strong commitment to creating and supporting positive environments for festivals and events in their communities:
- Dublin, Ireland (View Video)
- Dublin, Ohio, United States (View Video)
- Geumsan-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea (View Video)
- Historic Kailua Village, Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i, United States (View Video)
- McAllen, Texas, United States (View Video)
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (View Video)
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States (View Video)
- Rotterdam, The Netherlands (View Video)
- Songkhla, Thailand (View Video)
- Vaughan, Ontario, Canada (View Video)
These cities have demonstrated visionary leadership and collaboration between governments, businesses, and community partners to ensure that festivals and events continue to thrive. Their efforts not only strengthen local economies, but also celebrate cultural identity, foster community pride, and attract visitors from around the world.