Long-term Adelaide Fringe chief steps down – just before next festival
After 11 years, the flamboyant head of Australia’s biggest arts festival is leaving just before next year’s world-class event. Find out where she’s moving to next.
Well-recognised Adelaide arts leader Heather Croall is stepping down as CEO and artistic director of the Adelaide Fringe after first being appointed in February 2015, making her the longest serving head in the festival’s 62-year history.
Croall has been appointed as director at Carrick Hill, taking over from current director Susan McCormack.
Arts Minister Andrea Michaels announced Croall would start at the historic Springfield estate in February 2026 – just before next year’s festival starts.
The Adelaide Fringe board is launching a global search for its new director and CEO this week.
“Carrick Hill is an iconic South Australian arts and cultural attraction, and having worked closely with Heather during recent years, I am excited to see the vision she will bring to this incredible heritage home,” Michaels said.
“Her time at the Fringe saw it grow to new heights, becoming the first Australian festival to ever sell one million tickets and reaching people from all over the world, and I’m looking forward to her bringing the same passion and energy to Carrick Hill.”
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The Adelaide Fringe Festival is slated to begin on February 20 next year, and its lineup was expected to be announced in December.
Croall said Carrick Hill was one of South Australia’s “great cultural treasures” and “a place where art, history and landscape come together in harmony”.
“Together with the team, I look forward to strengthening Carrick Hill’s position as a leading cultural destination – one that celebrates its rich heritage while embracing innovation and community engagement,” she said.
Carrick Hill was constructed for Sir Edward and Ursula Hayward (née Barr Smith) between 1937 and 1939 in an Elizabethan style from Basket Range sandstone.
The 40-hectare estate also features formal gardens and was bequeathed to the South Australian government after Sir Edward Hayward’s death in 1983. It is now operated as a museum.
A $7.2 million function centre opened at the site in November 2023, along with Italian restaurant Rozelle’s in January 2024.
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InDaily reported in November 2023 that costs and construction times had blown out for the project, which was initially slated to cost $5 million.
Under her leadership, Croall has helped drive Fringe ticket sales from 450,000 to more than one million a year, while the number of tourists visiting SA for the festival has quadrupled.
In 2025, Adelaide Fringe generated a total expenditure of $197.7 million, with $144.2 million identified as new money into SA’s economy.
Croall was crowned the SALIFE Person of the Year at the 2023 SALIFE Absolute Best Awards. SALIFE is published by Solstice Media, which also publishes InDaily SA.
Today’s news comes after Solstice Media founder and managing director Paul Hamra was appointed as chair of the Adelaide Fringe in March 2025, bringing extensive experience in media publishing and governance.
“Heather has brought the community together, supporting artists, venues, and audiences so everyone can experience the joy Fringe delivers and the state can reap the benefits,” Hamra said.
Hamra said Croall left Adelaide Fringe in a strong position, with 2026 preparations well advanced and the executive team “well-prepared to lead the operations and continue the momentum to deliver another exciting and successful festival season”.
“As with any evolving organisation, change brings new opportunities,” he said.
“They are big shoes to fill – but we will find the best arts entrepreneur to take Adelaide Fringe from strength to strength and in new directions in the years ahead.”
