Australia’s Adelaide Festival has appointed renowned arts leader Kath M. Mainland as its new Chief Executive from April 2022.

In a statement, Mainland said, “What a privilege to be joining Adelaide Festival, one of the world’s leading cultural events and one I have enjoyed attending for almost two decades. I am incredibly passionate about the arts and its place in society, so it will be pure delight to immerse myself in the arts and cultural scene of South Australia and build on the legacy of one of the world’s great festivals.”

Mainland has worked in and around festivals for over 25 years and has served as the Executive Director and co-CEO of RISING in Melbourne; the CEO of Melbourne International Arts Festival; Chief Executive of Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and Administrative Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival.