Adelaide Fringe Director and CEO Heather Croall To Depart
The announcement comes after Heather Croall spent more than a decade helming one of the country’s biggest art festivals.
Image Carl Vester
Adelaide Fringe has today revealed that next year’s festival will be longtime Director and CEO Heather Croall AM’s last in charge.
A driving force behind the Adelaide Fringe for 11 incredible years, making her the longest serving Director and CEO in the festival’s 62 year history, Croall has decided to bring her time with the Adelaide Fringe to an end, taking up a position as the new Director of Carrick Hill.
Adelaide Fringe Chair, Paul Hamra, recognised that “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 leadership, Adelaide Fringe has seen significant growth, generating a total expenditure of $197.7 million in 2025, with $144.2 million identified as new money injected into the state economy.
“Leading the Fringe for the past decade has been one of the greatest honours of my life,” expressed Croall. “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.”
READ MORE: South Australia’s Billie Justice Thomson Wins Adelaide Fringe Poster Design for 2026
As Adelaide Fringe undertakes a worldwide search for its next Director and CEO, the organisation is looking back fondly on all that Croall achieved, including securing Gold in Major Festivals and Events at the 2025 South Australian Tourism Awards, being inducted into the Hall of Fame for Excellence in Accessible Tourism and helping Fringe being voted Australian Traveller Readers’ Choice Best Festival to Travel For in 2025.
Adelaide Fringe Chair, Paul Hamra, added, “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.
“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. 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.”
Adelaide Fringe 2026 will be held from 20 February to 22 March. You can keep up-to-date with everything that’s happening via the Adelaide Fringe website.
