Adelaide writers’ week sacrificed to save city’s prestigious arts festival, documents show
Adelaide writers’ week was cancelled in 2026 to prevent a broader collapse of the Adelaide festival after the removal of Randa Abdel-Fattah sparked widespread backlash and threats of artist withdrawals. Internal documents reveal concerns that government involvement and perceived censorship could damage the festival’s reputation and financial viability. The decision followed a government letter questioning Abdel-Fattah’s inclusion, leading to board resignations and a loss of confidence among participating artists. Adelaide writers’ week, though a major public event, was deemed expendable compared to the economically significant Adelaide festival.
- ▪The cancellation of Adelaide writers’ week in 2026 was recommended to prevent a cascade of withdrawals from the larger Adelaide festival.
- ▪Freedom of information documents show the SA premier's letter led to the removal of Randa Abdel-Fattah from the program, triggering the crisis.
- ▪Major Australian arts companies threatened to withdraw from the Adelaide festival over concerns about censorship and government interference.
- ▪Adelaide writers’ week drew over 160,000 attendees in 2025 but contributed little to box office revenue, unlike the main festival.
- ▪The Adelaide festival generated $62.6 million in economic impact for South Australia in 2025 and relies heavily on sponsorship and ticket sales.
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Adelaide writers’ week was cancelled to save the 2026 Adelaide festival amid a backlash over the removal of Randa Abdel-Fattah from the AWW program, documents show. Photograph: Shane ReidView image in fullscreenAdelaide writers’ week was cancelled to save the 2026 Adelaide festival amid a backlash over the removal of Randa Abdel-Fattah from the AWW program, documents show. Photograph: Shane ReidAdelaide writers' weekAdelaide writers’ week sacrificed to save city’s prestigious arts festival, documents show Briefings obtained by freedom of information warned a ‘cascade of withdrawals’ could lead to collapse of 2026 South Australian festival Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Kelly BurkeTue 28 Apr 2026 04.28 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleAdelaide writers’ week was sacrificed to save the 2026 Adelaide festival, an event that ploughs more than $60m into South Australia’s economy each year, documents show.After the 8 January announcement by the Adelaide festival board that controversial Palestinian Australian academic Randa Abdel-Fattah had been dumped from the AWW program, it wasn’t just fellow Australian and international guest writers and academics who began pulling out in droves.Headline acts for Australia’s longest running and most prestigious international arts festival were also threatening to walk, according to freedom of information documents obtained by Guardian Australia.After collapse and controversy, Adelaide writers’ week has a new director: ‘I don’t envy anyone in this position’Read moreInternal briefings prepared for an extraordinary board meeting held on 12 January – two days after three board members had resigned in protest and the day after the chair, Tracey Whiting, had stood down – warned of a “cascade of withdrawals” that could see the entire 2026 Adelaide festival collapse. AWW is overseen by the Adelaide festival board.The internal briefings reveal major Australian theatre and dance companies programmed for the festival wrote to its artistic director, Matthew Lutton, warning they were “considering their positions” after the AWW boycotts began. The companies’ identities were redacted in the documents.And while the local exodus was already in motion, management warned it was bracing for a second – and global – wave of cancellations, as the allegations of censorship and government interference reached international acts.Sign up for the Breaking News Australia emailIf an announcement was made within the next 18 hours stating the 2026 AWW had been cancelled, the briefing said, “it may prevent artists from withdrawing from the 2026 Adelaide festival program and will avoid a cascade of withdrawals in the coming days, thereby mitigating reputational and financial damage”.Any delays in announcing the cancellation of the AWW would “significantly increase the risk that the reputational damage from Adelaide Writers’ Week is transferred to Adelaide Festival”.Moreover, the briefing said future Adelaide festivals could also be at risk.“Currently, when invitations are extended to national and international artists, they accept without hesitation, as they do not consider the possibility that their values may not align with those of Adelaide Festival,” the briefing said.“However, if artists were to withdraw from Adelaide Festival, expressing concerns about its values, this could create significant friction in future years. Such withdrawals might lead artists to hesitate before accepting invitations and…
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