ADELAIDE.- The Adelaide Festival Corporation Board announced today that Matthew Lutton OAM has been appointed as Artistic Director, Adelaide Festival 2026 – 2028.
Lutton will take the creative leadership of Australia’s pre-eminent cultural event after nine years as Artistic Director and co-CEO of the acclaimed Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne. His appointment follows an extensive global search and significant interest from candidates both internationally and within Australia.
Lutton will come to Adelaide following his groundbreaking tenure at the helm of one of Australia’s most innovative cultural institutions. During his time as Artistic Director and co-CEO, Lutton elevated Malthouse Theatre’s reputation as a space where classic works are reinterpreted, and visionary worlds are brought to life. Lutton’s leadership shaped Malthouse into a hub of theatre, opera, and dance, captivating audiences and pushing the possibilities of artistic expression to new heights.
Crucially, Lutton also brings a wealth of global collaborative experience to Adelaide Festival, Australia's International Festival. His international connections and partnerships with renowned institutions, including the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh, the Lyric Hammersmith in London, and the Barbican have elevated the voices of Australian creatives on the global stage.
Lutton's directing credits at the Malthouse Theatre include the first stage adaptation of Picnic at Hanging Rock, which was invited to Edinburgh and London; the international collaboration on the science fiction work Solaris; the Australian premiere of Tom Waits' musical The Black Rider; Australia’s largest immersive theatre production during the COVID pandemic, Because the Night; and the co-direction of the large-scale First Nations work, The Return by John Harvey, alongside Yora Yora director Jason Tamiru for the RISING Festival.
The annual presentation of a major opera as Adelaide Festival’s centrepiece draws significant attention and excitement to South Australia, and Lutton's deep passion for this art form, coupled with his impressive directorial credits, played a pivotal role in his appointment as Artistic Director. His opera directing credits include: Make No Noise for the Bavarian State Opera, Strauss’ Elektra for Opera Australia and West Australian Opera, and Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman for New Zealand Opera. In 2022 he directed Kurt Weill’s Happy End for Victorian Opera.
Previously, Lutton was Malthouse Theatre’s Associate Director, and Artistic Director of the Perth based independent company, ThinIce.
Minister for Arts Andrea Michaels MP said: “Congratulations to Matthew Lutton OAM on being appointed the new Artistic Director of the Adelaide Festival. The Adelaide Festival is our state's premier arts festival with a legacy spanning 65 years and I'm delighted to see Matthew take the reins for the next three years. He brings a wealth of experience to the role and I'm looking forward to seeing his vision for the festival as it continues to be at the forefront of arts festivals globally.”
Adelaide Festival Chair, Tracey Whiting AM, said: “On behalf of the Adelaide Festival Corporation Board, I am delighted to announce the appointment of Matthew Lutton OAM as our new Artistic Director. Matthew’s visionary leadership at Malthouse Theatre, along with his profound understanding of contemporary performing arts, will ensure that Adelaide Festival continues to thrive as one of the world’s most respected and prestigious arts festivals. His passion for theatre and opera combined with his innovative artistic vision positions him perfectly to drive the continued evolution of Adelaide Festival as Australia’s premier cultural event”—Australia’s International Festival.
Ahead of his move to Adelaide, Matthew Lutton OAM said: “It is an extraordinary honour to be the next Artistic Director of the Adelaide Festival. As Australia’s premier international festival, it holds an astonishing artistic legacy. It is a festival renowned for large-scale international theatre, opera, dance, and music that can only be experienced in Adelaide, it launches daring new commissions that unite Australian and global artists, and it brings to life outdoor spectacles that astonish thousands. The Adelaide Festival truly is a national event in the ‘Festival State’ and I am thrilled to lead the festival into its next chapter.”
Adelaide Festival Artistic Director Brett Sheehy AO, who concludes his tenure with the 2025 program, said: “Matt’s appointment heralds an exciting generational change for the Festival. Having long admired Matt’s artistic integrity and courage at the helm of Malthouse Theatre, I very much look forward to seeing the vision he will bring to Australia’s greatest international arts festival.”
