Festivals as adaptive governance systems: deriving a nano-scale framework for sustainability and crisis management from Thrissur Pooram, India

Purpose Thrissur Pooram, a renowned temple festival in Kerala, serves as a living laboratory for sustainability, integrating cultural heritage, economic vibrancy and environmental responsibility. This study examines how the festival navigates socio-environmental challenges while preserving its rich traditions, with the objective of developing a contextualized framework for sustainability assessment and crisis management in large scale cultural events. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative case study approach, the research incorporates ethnographic observations, stakeholder interviews and document analysis to explore the interplay between sustainability practices, crisis management and cultural governance. Findings A key contribution is the study-derived Nano-Scale Assessment Model (NSAM), which categorizes sustainability dimensions into internal, external, interrelated and extraneous factors to assess festival sustainability holistically. By integrating Social-Ecological Systems (SES) Theory, the study highlights how traditional governance and participatory planning shape sustainability outcomes in high-intensity culturally embedded event settings. Research limitations/implications Findings reveal an urgent need for improved crisis management, stakeholder collaboration and structured sustainability interventions to mitigate overcrowding, environmental strain, and economic vulnerabilities. The NSAM framework offers a replicable tool for a sustainability-driven governance mechanism in a similar festival context globally. Originality/value The study positions Thrissur Pooram as a replicable model for sustainable festival management, offering policy insights for event organizers, cultural policymakers and sustainability practitioners. It extends SES theory through the introduction of a layered, even specific analytical model, enabling a granular understanding of sustainability transition in a complex socio-cultural system.