Sydney Festival has announced that Kris Nelson will take the reins as its next Festival Director from 2026 to 2029, guiding the city’s largest cultural event through its landmark 50th edition in January 2026.

Kris Nelson, the newly appointed Director of Sydney Festival. Photo © Tyler Kelly

A Canadian national currently based in London, Nelson is well known for his transformative work as the Artistic Director and CEO of the London International Festival of Theatre. Under his direction, LIFT has gained a reputation for staging daring contemporary theatre productions, including The Second Woman, a 24-hour theatrical event by Australian creators Breckon & Randall, and the experimental indoor opera Sun & Sea, which was a highlight of the 2023 Sydney Festival.

“Becoming Festival Director of Sydney Festival is a tremendous opportunity,” said Nelson. “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.”

Nelson’s journey to Sydney follows more than a decade spent working in Ireland and the UK. Before his tenure...