New Adelaide Festival executive director appointed
State Theatre Company South Australia’s current executive director will lead the Adelaide Festival following the departure of CEO Kath Mainland.
Arts leader Julian Hobba will be the new executive director of the Adelaide Festival from September, taking the reins from Kath Mainland, who left in April after three years at its helm.
Hobba has more than 25 years of experience in the Australian theatre and arts industry, having begun his career as a playwright in Melbourne’s independent theatre scene.
He joins the Adelaide Festival from State Theatre Company South Australia, where he has spent the past five years as executive director.
Hobba has also been executive director of The Blue Room Theatre in Perth, program manager of arts and culture for the ACT Government and company manager at Malthouse Theatre.
Hobba said he was “incredibly excited” to be taking on the role of executive director at Adelaide Festival.
“I’ve been attending Adelaide Festivals since the mid-1990s and they’ve long been a cornerstone of my artistic life, providing a consistent source of inspiration and some of the most powerful and memorable artistic experiences of my career,” he said.
“I’m deeply committed to building on the Festival’s unique and vital role in South Australian and Australian culture — as a showcase for international excellence grounded in the best qualities of our shared humanity, imagination, empathy, and cultural exchange.
“I’m passionate about ensuring the Festival celebrates and elevates the outstanding work of our local artists and creative sector as part of that exchange.”
Adelaide Festival chair Tracey Whiting AM said the board was “thrilled” to welcome Hobba as executive director.
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“He is an exceptional leader with profound knowledge of the creative sector and a proven ability to turn bold ideas into reality. His leadership, in partnership with Artistic Director Matthew Lutton OAM, promises an exciting future for Australia’s international arts festival,” she said.
Arts Minister Andrea Michaels also welcomed the appointment.
“The Adelaide Festival is a cornerstone of South Australia’s cultural identity, and I’m looking forward to seeing Julian bring fresh energy and insight as he leads this iconic event into a new era. I congratulate him and the Festival on this appointment,” she said.
The news comes following numerous leadership changes at the Adelaide Festival over the past few years, including the departure of long-time board member and chair Judy Potter in 2023 and artistic director Ruth Mackenzie in August 2024.
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