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Nightlife, Bohemia, and Urban Cultural Heritage — V Carnival and Festivity Congress 2026

A new international call for papers invites scholars and practitioners to reflect on the relationships between nightlife, bohemia, urban culture, heritage, and territorial governance in Latin America. The V Carnival and Festivity Congress 2026 will take place on May 21–22, 2026, across two emblematic Chilean cities: Santiago and Valparaíso.

The congress is organized by Corporación Valparaíso Inmaterial, with academic sponsorship from leading Chilean university programs in cultural heritage, tourism, and cultural management, and with international collaboration from specialized heritage and carnival research institutions in Uruguay and Italy. The event creates a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue on nocturnal urban life and festive practices as complex social, cultural, spatial, and political phenomena.

Current research shows that nightlife districts have become central to debates on urban transformation, cultural economies, security, public policy, and social coexistence. Nighttime environments are increasingly examined through lenses such as urban liveability, affective atmospheres, governance models, cultural production, and intangible heritage. In Latin American contexts especially, nightlife and festive culture are deeply entangled with historic centers, popular cultural expression, and heritage recognition frameworks.

The congress particularly welcomes contributions addressing:

  • Social and safety challenges in nightlife districts
  • Actors and infrastructures of the night-time economy
  • Artistic and cultural expressions linked to nightlife and bohemia as intangible heritage
  • Night landscapes, atmospheres, and experiential dimensions
  • Urban quality of life and nighttime practices
  • Public policy and territorial planning for nightlife governance
  • Metropolitan nightlife districts, heritage, and urban structure

Comparative, interdisciplinary, and empirically grounded contributions with policy or intervention relevance are especially encouraged.

Abstract submission deadline: March 27, 2026.
Submissions should include a 250–350 word abstract, keywords, author details, affiliation, contact email, and a short bio note. Proposals are to be sent directly to the congress coordination email.

This congress represents an important opportunity to deepen critical and applied research on nightlife and festive urban cultures from a Latin American perspective, while engaging broader international debates on night studies and nocturnal cities.


OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
Manuel Garcia-Ruiz (February 12, 2026). Nightlife, Bohemia, and Urban Cultural Heritage — V Carnival and Festivity Congress 2026. International Night Studies Network. Retrieved March 12, 2026 from https://doi.org/10.58079/15on3