Louise Bezzina to step down as artistic director following 2025 Brisbane Festival
Louise Bezzina announced she will depart Brisbane Festival following the 2025 edition, marking the end of a six-year tenure.
The announcement:
After six landmark years in the role — delivering more programs than any artistic director in the event’s history — Louise Bezzina has today announced she will step down following the 2025 Brisbane Festival.
Since joining in 2019, Bezzina has built Brisbane Festival to be one of the most successful in Australia — with a national and international reputation for artistic excellence, broad engagement and commercial success. Her time has seen city-defining programs that deepened the Festival’s connection to community and earned national acclaim for innovation and inclusivity.
Bezzina and the Brisbane Festival team are now focused on delivering a 2025 festival that encapsulates and showcases the energy, ambition and creative vision she has brought to the role throughout her time as artistic director.
Reflecting on this time, Bezzina said: “Leading Brisbane Festival has been one of the great honours of my career — a place where bold ideas, community and creativity come together in the most powerful ways. I’m immensely proud of what we’ve achieved, and grateful to be leaving the Festival in such a strong and confident position. I’m really looking forward to delivering one final program that celebrates everything this city and its artists make possible.”
Under Bezzina’s leadership, Brisbane Festival became the first major Australian arts festival to proceed during the COVID-19 pandemic, reimagining its format to deliver a safe, city-wide celebration during a time of profound uncertainty. Her tenure has been marked by ambitious and inclusive programming, including large-scale free events like Skylore — a vibrant public drone show inspired by Dreamtime stories — and the launch of the now-iconic Brisbane Serenades concert series in 2020. Through her curatorial leadership, she has delivered seminal works such as Salamander, led by international creatives Maxine Doyle and Es Devlin, championed local talent through high-profile commissions including sold-out seasons of Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe and Love Stories, and brought world-class experiences like Jean Paul Gaultier’s Fashion Freak Show to Brisbane audiences.
Last year’s program featured more than 1,000 performances and almost 2,000 artists, reaching an audience of 1.8 million — cementing Brisbane Festival’s position as the largest international arts festival in Australia. With over $53 million in economic impact delivered to the city in 2024, the Festival has become a key cultural and economic driver for Brisbane.
“Louise has led Brisbane Festival through a period of extraordinary growth, creativity and resilience,” remarked Brisbane Festival CEO, Charlie Cush. “She leaves the organisation in a position of immense strength — financially secure, artistically ambitious, and deeply embedded in the life of this city. Her legacy is not just in the programs she’s delivered, but in the values she’s instilled across the Festival. We’re incredibly grateful for her leadership, and excited to see her continue shaping Brisbane’s cultural landscape in this next chapter.”
Brisbane Festival chair, Anna Reynolds added: “Louise has made an extraordinary contribution to Brisbane Festival, guiding it with purpose, creativity and care. Her leadership has strengthened the Festival’s role as a cornerstone of Brisbane’s cultural identity and a national leader in the arts. As we celebrate her achievements, we also look ahead with confidence — the Festival is poised for its next chapter, a rare and exciting opportunity for new artistic leadership to build on a legacy of ambition, impact and cultural relevance.”
Minister for Arts John-Paul Langbroek said Ms Bezzina’s new role as Brisbane Powerhouse chief executive and artistic director reaffirmed her commitment to the arts in Queensland, while also prioritising the best interests of her family.
“Since taking the reins of Brisbane Festival, Louise has led a period of remarkable growth, solidifying Brisbane Festival’s place as a premiere cultural event on the national calendar,” Minister Langbroek said.
“Her leadership has delivered bold and inclusive programming, enriching Queensland’s arts landscape and engaging new audiences over the past six years.”
While preparing for an exciting 2025 Brisbane Festival, Ms Bezzina is also looking forward to her next chapter, working with Brisbane Powerhouse in the lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“I’ve known Louise since the creation of the Bleach Festival, but her new role at the helm of Brisbane Powerhouse marks an exciting evolution in her career — one that will no doubt continue to shape and inspire Queensland’s creative future,” Minister Langbroek said.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner congratulated Louise on her world-class work leading Brisbane Festival: “It’s been really incredible to see Brisbane Festival grow from strength to strength under Louise’s leadership and guidance.”
“I look forward to continuing to work with her as she continues to support our arts community through her new role at Brisbane Powerhouse.”
Bezzina’s move to be CEO and artistic director of Brisbane Powerhouse marks the next phase in a career defined by creative leadership and civic engagement. The role builds on the platform Brisbane Festival has provided over six transformative years — a period in which she emerged as one of Australia’s leading cultural voices.
As Bezzina prepares to deliver her final festival, one of the most sought-after roles in the country’s cultural landscape opens the door to a new chapter of artistic leadership. A recruitment process for Brisbane Festival’s next artistic director will commence in May.
Brisbane Festival runs 5–27 September. The full 2025 program will be announced on Wednesday 11 June.
Source: Common State
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