Defining resilience for mass gatherings

Mass gatherings—from music festivals to disaster relief sites—offer untapped potential to strengthen community resilience. This whitepaper proposes a four-part heuristic for evaluating and enhancing the resilience of such gatherings: safety, accessibility, sustainability, and community engagement. By viewing these events as opportunities for preparedness and collaboration rather than risks, communities can better align cultural, civic, and emergency planning to respond adaptively to future disruptions.