Brisbane Festival has named Ebony Bott as its next Artistic Director. She takes up the role in mid-September 2025, following the departure of outgoing director Louise Bezzina, who has led the festival since 2020.

The appointment is a weighty one, as Brisbane edges into the global spotlight of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games – a chance to position the city as a cultural as well as sporting capital on the global stage.

Ebony Bott. Photo © Toby Burrows

Currently Head of Contemporary Performance at the Sydney Opera House, Bott has more than 20 years’ experience programming for major cultural institutions, including the Adelaide Festival Centre and Arts Centre Melbourne.

“Festivals aren’t just programs, they’re civic rituals,” says Bott. “They reflect us back to ourselves and open us up to the world. That’s what drew me to Brisbane Festival. It has a pulse that’s distinctly local and a platform that resonates far beyond. For me, the most powerful festivals grow from the identity of their city, not simply land upon it.”

At the Sydney Opera House, Bott’s programming has included Amadeus starring Michael Sheen, Message in a Bottle set to the...