One of the world’s biggest arts festivals is getting a new leader, with Adelaide Fringe appointing Canadian arts and culture heavyweight Marc Carnes as its next Chief Executive Officer.
Following a global search, Marc will officially step into the role on July 1st, 2026, taking the reins of Australia’s largest arts festival ahead of the 2027 season.
The appointment is a major new chapter for the iconic South Australian festival, which has grown into the biggest open-access arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere, attracting millions of attendees and thousands of artists from around the world.
Marc arrives in Adelaide with more than two decades of experience spanning arts, culture, tourism, audience development and media across Canada. Most recently, he served as CEO of Canadian broadcaster CKUA Radio, where he led a major transformation of the country’s oldest public broadcaster during a period of rapid change across the cultural and media landscape.
But perhaps most notably for Adelaide audiences, Marc already knows the Fringe world well. He previously served as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Society, the organisation behind North America’s largest and longest-running Fringe festival.
Adelaide Fringe Chair Paul Hamra said, “The Adelaide Fringe is a special institution and we have been searching very wide for a special leader. Someone who could recognise and celebrate the position Fringe has attained and build it further for artists, audiences and venues over the next five years.”
“As CEO, Marc will work closely with Adelaide Fringe’s existing executive team to grow audiences and continue strengthening the festival’s position as a major cultural and economic driver for South Australia and the nation.”
Marc said, “I believe passionately in the role the arts have in building communities rich in stories and experiences that bring us together. Adelaide Fringe is one of those rare cultural organisations that belongs deeply to its artists, its audiences and its city. To be invited to help steward something of that scale, history and impact is a real privilege.
“I come to this role with enormous admiration and respect for the artists, venues, staff, partners and community who have built Adelaide Fringe into Australia’s biggest arts festival. It is an artist-led festival at its heart, and I see the role of CEO as one of custodianship, listening closely, learning deeply and understanding how my experience across arts, culture, tourism and audience development can best serve the people who make the festival what it is.”
Marc’s background also includes senior leadership roles with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and the Francis Winspear Centre for Music, along with tourism industry experience through his work with destination management agency Explore Edmonton.
His appointment comes as Adelaide Fringe continues to cement itself as one of South Australia’s biggest cultural and economic drivers, drawing growing interstate and international audiences year after year.
Acting CEO Tara MacLeod will remain in the role until Carnes officially begins in July.
