A Canadian-born artistic director and CEO who has worked extensively on festivals in Ireland and the UK has been announced as the next Festival Director of Sydney Festival.
Kris Nelson was today (24 September) announced as the incoming Festival Director of Sydney Festival. His inaugural program will be the Festival’s 50th edition in January 2026.
Nelson will relocate to Sydney later this year to take up the role, having recently concluded six-and-a-half years as Artistic Director and CEO at the London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT).
“Becoming Festival Director of Sydney Festival is a tremendous opportunity,” Nelson said in a statement. “I love Sydney Festival’s DNA – it’s truly one of the world’s greats. It’s a festival that originates new ideas and ways of seeing the world as it shares powerful, daring and joyful performing arts with audiences across the city. I’ve long been inspired by the ambition, diversity and talent in the Australian cultural sector, and I love the Festival’s ability to empower Australian artists to create their boldest and best.
“Sydney is an exciting world city – vibrant, sophisticated and multicultural. I can’t wait to make it my home and lead the team to create future-facing festivals that shape the times and resonate with audiences in every corner of the city,” Nelson said.
Nelson was appointed to the role after an extensive global search that saw over 100 individuals express interest in the position.
Sydney Festival Chair, Kate Dundas, said: “We are delighted to announce Kris Nelson as the new Festival Director of Sydney Festival. Kris’ impressive leadership at LIFT, alongside his vast international experience, makes him an exceptional fit for Sydney Festival. His innovative approach to programming, commitment to diverse voices, and deep understanding of both artists and audiences will ensure that Sydney Festival continues to thrive as a dynamic and inspiring cultural event. We look forward to the bold and exciting vision Kris will bring as we embark on this next chapter.”
Who is Kris Nelson?
Originally from Saskatoon in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, Nelson stepped down as the Artistic Director/CEO of LIFT at the end of August, following the successful presentation of the Festival’s 2024 edition.
Nelson said at the time: “Leading LIFT has been a richly rewarding experience and it’s time to pass the torch. I’m looking forward to pursuing new creative projects and leadership opportunities… as I begin a new chapter.”
During his tenure, which included a focus on internationalising local practices, LIFT developed a reputation for brave stagings of contemporary, political and experimental theatre, including the 24-hour theatrical phenomenon The Second Woman by Sydney’s Nat Randall and Anna Breckon (a reimagining of a single scene from filmmaker John Cassavetes’ 1977 film Opening Night), which was named The Guardian’s top theatre pick of 2023.
Other LIFT highlights under Nelson’s directorship include past Sydney Festival favourite, the indoor beachside opera work Sun & Sea (which was performed in the round at Sydney Town Hall in 2023 and transformed the venue with the addition of 26 tonnes of sand), and commissions of successful British works including I Am From Reykjavik by Sonia Hughes and The Making of Pinocchio by Cade and MacAskill (the latter was programmed at the 2023 Brisbane Festival, with ArtsHub’s Managing Editor Madeleine Swain describing the production as an arresting insight into the transgender experience).
Read: Adelaide Festival announces first three shows for 2025
In 2021, Nelson led the launch of LIFT’s Concept Touring initiative, an online residency and commissioning model designed to support sustainable international collaborations where the idea, process and resulting work travel, but the artist does not, and which led to the creation of Nassim Soleimanpour and Omar Elerian’s LIFT 2024 production, ECHO (Every Cold-Hearted Oxygen).
Prior to commencing at LIFT, Nelson served as Festival Director of the Dublin Fringe Festival (Ireland’s largest multidisciplinary arts festival and one of the few curated fringe events in the world) from 2013 to 2017. According to The Irish Times, Nelson’s successful tenure at Dublin Fringe ‘boosted the display of large-scale outdoor work, consolidated the talents of Irish independent artists,’ and combined ‘careful local attention with an international outlook’.
Earlier in his career Nelson cut his teeth as a freelance curator and producer on festivals across Canada, including Vancouver’s PuSh International Performing Arts Festival and the roving Magnetic North Theatre Festival. He also championed the works of experimental Canadian theatre and dance companies via his own Montréal-based touring agency, Antonym Productions, helping Canadian artists and companies gain a profile on the world stage in the process.
Nelson has previously spoken of the need for festival directors to quickly attune themselves to the needs and cultural drives of new cities, and to be able to predict audiences’ tastes in advance. “A good festival director must be able to predict where audiences might be [in a year or two’s time],” he told UK publication The Stage in 2022.
In the same interview, Nelson discussed how growing up queer in a provincial city has helped inform his work.
“When I have felt like an outsider, growing up in a conservative city, in a really racialised part of Canada, it has helped inform my empathy for work that’s about being an outsider,” he said.
Sydney Festival 2025
Current Sydney Festival Director Olivia Ansell will unveil her 2025 program – her fourth and final edition of the Festival – next month, having already announced a number of events, including the world premiere of a chamber opera about Las Vegas stage magicians Siegfried and Roy and a one-off performance from Rufus Wainwright at Sydney Opera House.
Speaking to Nelson’s appointment, Ansell said: “I’m thrilled for Kris and for Sydney. I’m excited to see the next evolution of the Festival unfold, with a great collaborator like Kris at the helm.”
The full Sydney Festival 2025 program will be revealed on Wednesday 30 October. Kris Nelson will present his first program in January 2026.
