Adelaide Festival Artistic Director quits to take up government position

Ruth Mackenzie has stepped down from her role as Artistic Director of Adelaide Festival and today commences in a new role overseeing the development and delivery of the South Australian Government’s new cultural strategy.

Mackenzie was initially hired to program the 2024, 2025 and 2026 Adelaide Festivals.

The Adelaide Festival Board has advised that Brett Sheehy will return as Artistic Director of the 2025 Adelaide Festival.

Mackenzie brings a wealth of skill and expertise in the arts to her new role, as well as a depth of international experience, to help deliver this landmark state cultural policy.

Brett Sheehy returns as Artistic Director of the 2025 Adelaide Festival, a role he held previously from 2005 to 2008. Sheehy will finalise and oversee the delivery of the 2025 festival program and will continue preparations for the 2026 program until the appointment of the Artistic Director for 2026 onwards.

Adelaide Festival Corporation Chair Tracey Whiting shared “we thank Ruth for her incredible service and the difference she has made to Adelaide Festival in her time with us. The record attendance we saw in 2024 is a testament to the public's engagement in her extraordinary program. We wish her well in this exciting new position.

“In farewelling Ruth, I am delighted to announce that Brett is joining us once again. Known for his previous outstanding leadership of Sydney Festival, Adelaide Festival, Melbourne Festival and Melbourne Theatre Company, Brett will guarantee a vibrant and sustainable future for Adelaide Festival and ensure it remains the pre-eminent, highly successful Festival of Australian and international performing arts, as it has been for over 60 years.”

Mackenzie shared “It has been a joy to develop the Adelaide Festival strategic plan 2024-2027 and begin to deliver its priorities in the 2024 Adelaide Festival, which achieved record audiences of 555,505. The 2024 Adelaide Festival delivered our commitment to First Nations First in the program of world class artists, a step change in community engagement and work with and for young people. It is an honour to take up the opportunity to lead the development and delivery of the South Australian Government's new Cultural Plan, and to continue to be inspired by the values and leadership of the Government to serve all the communities of the State.”

Sheehy’s appointment begins immediately. In accepting the appointment, he said “I’m delighted to be able to maintain the delivery of an array of events already planned for 2025 and to be joining the exceptional Festival team.

“My mission is to ensure that we present Adelaide with an outstanding 2025 Festival, as engaging, challenging, entertaining and irresistible as any before, and to hand over to the 2026 Artistic Director a festival in the best possible health. To be able to return to Adelaide to contribute again to Australia’s greatest international arts festival is an extraordinary privilege and an opportunity which I could not resist.”

Adelaide Festival looks forward to launching its centrepiece opera on 26th August. The full 2025 program will be announced on 4th November.

Recruitment for the Artistic Director for the 2026 Adelaide Festival onwards will commence shortly.

Snapshot of 2024 Adelaide Festival

• Record-breaking attendances of 555,505

• $76.8 million gross expenditure generated for SA

• $39.6 million net impact on the Gross State Product

• $37.1 million new expenditure in SA

• 19,605 visitors to the state

• $4,181 spend per visitor in South Australia

• 133,345 visitor nights created

• 314 jobs (full-time equivalent)

• 65 events (including Whale at Glenelg)

• 300+ performances (including 130 Writers’ Week sessions)

• 16 world premieres and 12 Australian premieres

• 25 events exclusive to Adelaide

• 1,586 artists from 15 countries

Image top: Ruth Mackenzie. Credit: Claudio Raschella; image above: Brett Sheehy