Adelaide Festival Centre chief Douglas Gautier to retire after 19 years

The head of South Australia’s main performing arts centre, who helped bring Disney productions to town, will step down after nearly 19 years in the role.

Douglas Gautier with the Festival Centre in background. Picture: Matt Turner

One of South Australia’s leading arts administrators, Adelaide Festival Centre chief executive and artistic director Douglas Gautier, will retire after nearly 19 years in the role.

Mr Gautier, 72, who was appointed in 2006 with the promise of “program-led” revitalisation of the centre, announced on Thursday that he would step down in the second half of next year.

The Festival Centre’s board will conduct an international search to recruit his replacement.

Adelaide Festival Centre chief executive and artistic director Douglas Gautier. Picture: Roy Vandervegt

Under Mr Gautier’s leadership, attendances at the centre’s venues grew to more than a million annually, as it introduced events including the OzAsia Festival, Adelaide Guitar Festival and the renamed DreamBig Children’s Festival.

Major projects included the rebuild of Her Majesty’s Theatre on Grote St, and next year’s planned $35m upgrade of the Festival Theatre, Dunstan Playhouse and Space Theatre.

Mr Gautier also helped bring Disney Theatrical Group’s musicals to Adelaide for the first time, with seasons of Aladdin, Frozen and next year’s Beauty and the Beast.

Premier Peter Malinauskas said Mr Gautier had been an outstanding leader in the state’s arts sector.

“My government thanks Douglas for his unswerving commitment to bringing world class shows to Adelaide and for delivering festivals that inspire and connect us,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“His legacy will be felt for generations.”

Mr Gautier, who was previously director of the Hong Kong Arts Festival from 2002-06, said it had been a privilege to watch the venues and sector flourish.

“As the heart of the arts in South Australia we believe in the creative spirit, social benefits and economic impact of the arts, and we want to ensure that continues to reach far and wide into the future,” he said.

Earlier this week, the Festival Centre released an economic impact study which showed it generated $164 million of activity for the state in 2023, its 50th year of operation.