Economic impact has developed into one of the most cited and used arguments to bid for major events. Ex ante studies on the economic impact, which analyze regional income and employment impacts, are usually required by local chamberlains or regional financing authorities and occasionally are a...

This paper evaluates the economic impact of the $14 billion preparatory investments for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. We use satellite data on night light luminosity at municipality and electoral district level as a proxy for economic development, applying synthetic control methods...