Hello everyone!

As a fellow ‘senior’ it’s a great pleasure to invite you to the 2025 Adelaide Festival.  I’m very confident that your and my artistic tastes will coalesce in many of these productions and events, a conviction born of something that has proved successful in all my previous programs.  In putting this suite of works together, I was as mindful as ever that my highest responsibility is to you, the audience.

This approach has enabled me to present festivals and events which have been truly enjoyed by every age group (and yes, I did once even program for the under-2s!).

My first Adelaide Festival experience was in 1982 as a young man flying here from my home on the Gold Coast.  It's no exaggeration to say it changed my life, literally.  Inspired by that Festival, the following year I threw in the towel on my articled clerkship at a Gold Coast law firm and began an arts career as an usher at Sydney Theatre Company.

So, my thanks go to Adelaide for introducing me to the rest of my professional life, and I would like to thank all of you for supporting your festival so enthusiastically over the years.

This year, alongside our flagship opera, and ambitious theatre, dance and music programs, we also have a free program so everybody can join us, including live streaming the Writers’ Week East Stage sessions from Monday to Thursday for those who can’t join us in the Gardens. This live stream is open to libraries, community centres, schools, aged care facilities and retirement villages across South Australia, thanks to Office for Ageing Well and Seniors Card.

I look forward to seeing you in March!

Cheers

Brett Sheehy AO, Artistic Director

Office for Ageing Well and Seniors Card are proud Supporting Partners of the Adelaide Festival. View the Office for Ageing Well’s Guide to Adelaide Festival here.

View the full 2025 program here: 2025 Program - Adelaide Festival

More information from the 2025 Adelaide Festival edition of WeekendPlus: