FERGUS LINEHAN (EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL)
Fergus Linehan was appointed Festival Director of the Edinburgh International Festival in October 2014. His first season took place in August 2015. Fergus began his career in the theatre in Dublin, producing work for independent companies and going on to direct the Dublin Theatre Festival. During that time he commissioned work by writers including Seamus Heaney, Brian Friel and Roddy Doyle.
From 2004 to 2009, Fergus was Chief Executive and Artistic Director of the Sydney Festival where he presented performances by artists such as Robert Lepage, Christopher Wheeldon and Björk to name but a few. From 2010 to 2012, Fergus was Head of Music at Sydney Opera House and, from 2012–2014 was Festival Director of Vivid LIVE, an annual event, celebrating popular music and digital art.
Fergus' programme at Edinburgh International Festival has stretched from Gorgie to Leith - and last year Leith Theatre alone hosted an audience of 13,500 with gigs from artists including Kate Tempest, Anna Calvi, Sharon Van Etten, Jarvis Cocker, Teenage Fanclub and Neneh Cherry.