Heather has led the Adelaide Fringe for 11 years, making her the longest-serving Director and CEO in the festival’s 62-year history. Her leadership has transformed the event into the biggest arts festival in Australia, an achievement reflected not only in audience numbers but in the lasting economic and cultural benefits delivered to the state.
Adelaide Fringe Chair Paul Hamra highlighted her remarkable contribution, stating “Heather has brought the community together, supporting artists, venues, and audiences so everyone can experience the joy Fringe delivers and the state can reap the benefits.”
Under her guidance, the Adelaide Fringe has grown to become the biggest arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere and the most ticketed festival in Australia, cementing its status as an economic and tourism powerhouse.
In 2025 alone, the Adelaide Fringe generated a total expenditure of $197.7 million, including $144.2 million in new money injected directly into South Australia’s economy.
“Leading the Fringe for the past decade has been one of the greatest honours of my life. It has been a privilege to work alongside such passionate colleagues, artists, volunteers, and supporters, people whose creativity and dedication make the Fringe such an amazing, vibrant, daring and unique festival. It’s a massive collaboration and together, we present something truly remarkable every year.”
The next Festival leader
With Heather preparing to step down, the Adelaide Fringe has launched a global search for its next Director and CEO—an opportunity to lead one of the world’s most loved and most innovative arts festivals.
The new appointee will inherit an organisation recognised for excellence on multiple fronts. Under Heather’s tenure, the festival:
- Won Gold in Major Festivals and Events at the 2025 South Australian Tourism Awards
- Was inducted into the Hall of Fame for Excellence in Accessible Tourism
- Was named Australian Traveller Readers’ Choice Best Festival to Travel For in 2025
Hamra expressed confidence in the next stage of the Fringe’s evolution, noting, “Adelaide Fringe is a global destination for culture seekers, arts lovers and artists, the board has very high ambitions for the next phase of growth, building on the work Heather and her team have been able to achieve. We all deserve the best arts leader to take the reins of the Fringe.”
He added, “As with any evolving organisation, change brings new opportunities. Heather leaves Adelaide Fringe in an exceptionally strong position and with Fringe 2026 preparations already well advanced, the Executive Team is well-prepared to lead the operations and continue the momentum to deliver another exciting and successful festival season.”
And while the shoes to fill are certainly large, Hamra emphasised the importance of finding the right leader: “They are big shoes to fill – but we will find the best arts entrepreneur to take Adelaide Fringe from strength to strength and in new directions in the years ahead”.
A global recruitment process begins, supported by Aegeus Executive Search.
The 2026 Adelaide Fringe season will run from 20 February to 22 March, promising another vibrant celebration of creativity, culture, and community.
