Introduction

The Routledge Handbook of Dark Events offers the first comprehensive exploration of dark events – ritualised, commemorative, and performative gatherings that centre death, grief, and the macabre in public life. Interdisciplinary and global in scope, the Handbook defines dark events as a distinct field of academic inquiry and cultural practice, drawing on thanatology, festival and events management, tourism, heritage, and cultural studies. In doing so, it examines how death is staged, mediated, and consumed across commemorative ceremonies, horror festivals, pilgrimages, and activist events. Contributors analyse the emotional, political, and ethical tensions involved in curating mortality for public audiences – from sacred vigils and memorials to commercial spectacles and media-infused rituals. Organised across ten thematic parts, the volume presents an expansive range of case studies, theoretical frameworks, and methodological approaches, capturing the pluralism, provocation, and urgency of dark events as they continue to evolve across physical and digital landscapes.