A headshot of Richard Wakely

Wakely said running the festival over the last 12 years had been "one of the greatest privileges" of his career

Photo: Belfast International Arts Festival

Changing Faces

Artistic director departs Belfast International Arts Festival

Arts Professional
2 min read

Belfast International Arts Festival has announced that RICHARD WAKELY will step down as artistic director and CEO at the end of the 2025 festival, after over 12 years at the helm.

Wakely joined Belfast Festival at Queens in 2013, later reconstituting the event as an independent company with a new mission statement, which was subsequently rebranded as Belfast International Arts Festival.

His previous roles included managing director of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, general manager at Hampstead Theatre in London, and commissioner for the China-Ireland Cultural Exchange Programme for the Irish government.

“It has been one of the greatest privileges of my career to have had the opportunity to rebuild and lead Belfast’s longest-running arts festival,” said Wakely.

“Since 2013, I have had the honour of shaping a programme filled with extraordinary work, both local and international, that sparks imagination, brings people together and illustrates the vital role arts and culture can play in all our lives.”

FIONA KANE, chair of Belfast International Arts Festival’s board, added: “On behalf of the Festival board, I would like to express our deepest gratitude to Richard Wakely for his exceptional leadership over the past decade.

“His vision and dedication have helped elevate Belfast International Arts Festival into a world-class celebration of arts and culture. Richard’s legacy will endure through the innovative programmes and international collaborations he championed, and his impact on the cultural landscape of Belfast will be felt for years to come.”