Matthew Lutton OAM to Lead Adelaide Festival from 2026 to 2028
The Adelaide Festival Corporation Board has revealed that Matthew Lutton OAM will take up the position of Artistic Director for the 2026–2028 editions of the Adelaide Festival. Lutton’s appointment follows an extensive global search that drew a highly competitive field from both Australia and abroad.
Lutton joins the Adelaide Festival after nine transformative years as Artistic Director and co-CEO at Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre. Under his stewardship, Malthouse garnered a reputation as a hotbed of creative innovation, where classic repertoire was reinvented and bold, contemporary visions took centre stage. Throughout his tenure, Lutton championed the fusion of theatre, opera, and dance, expanding the scope of what Malthouse could offer and enhancing its status as a leading cultural institution.
In addition to his Australian achievements, Lutton has cultivated an extensive network of international collaborations, working with top-tier organisations such as the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh, the Lyric Hammersmith in London, and the Barbican. His ability to unite Australian artists with these global platforms underlines his dedication to showcasing local voices on the world stage—an ethos he will bring to Adelaide’s renowned festival.
Lutton expressed great enthusiasm for his upcoming role in Adelaide, saying:
It’s an extraordinary honour to be named Artistic Director of the Adelaide Festival. This festival has an incredible artistic heritage, celebrated for large-scale international theatre, opera, dance, and music that you won’t find anywhere else. It also champions new commissions that merge Australian and global talent, and hosts spectacular outdoor experiences for thousands of people. I’m delighted to guide this national event in the ‘Festival State’ and look forward to ushering in a new chapter.
Among Lutton’s most celebrated directorial highlights at Malthouse are the stage adaptation of PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK, which toured to Edinburgh and London; the science fiction collaboration SOLARIS; Tom Waits’ musical THE BLACK RIDER; the large-scale immersive production BECAUSE THE NIGHT, staged during the height of the COVID pandemic; and the co-direction of John Harvey’s THE RETURN, presented at the RISING Festival in partnership with Jason Tamiru of Yora Yora.
Minister for Arts, Andrea Michaels MP, offered her congratulations, saying:
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 65-year legacy, and I’m delighted Matthew will shape its direction for the next three years. His vast experience makes him the ideal leader, and I’m excited to see how he will elevate our festival on the global stage.
Opera remains a signature feature of the Adelaide Festival, and Lutton’s deep-rooted passion for the genre was a driving factor in his selection. His directorial credits include MAKE NO NOISE for the Bavarian State Opera, ELEKTRA for Opera Australia and West Australian Opera, and THE FLYING DUTCHMAN for New Zealand Opera. Most recently, he directed Kurt Weill’s HAPPY END for Victorian Opera in 2022.
Before overseeing Malthouse as Artistic Director and co-CEO, Lutton was its Associate Director and, prior to that, headed the Perth-based independent theatre company ThinIce.
Adelaide Festival Chair, Tracey Whiting AM, added:
On behalf of the Adelaide Festival Corporation Board, I’m thrilled to announce Matthew Lutton OAM as our new Artistic Director. His visionary approach at Malthouse Theatre and deep understanding of contemporary performing arts will help Adelaide Festival remain one of the world’s most revered arts events. His dedication to theatre, opera, and fresh ideas sets the stage for the festival’s ongoing evolution as Australia’s International Festival.
Brett Sheehy AO, the current Adelaide Festival Artistic Director, who will conclude his tenure with the 2025 program, remarked:
Matt’s appointment signals an exciting new generation for the Festival. I’ve long admired his fearless and artistically sound leadership at Malthouse and can’t wait to see the vision he brings to Australia’s leading international arts festival.
