Brighton Festival has announced its Guest Director for 2025 will be the Grammy-nominated musician, composer and activist Anoushka Shankar.
Brighton Festival was established in 1967 and is the largest annual curated multi-arts festival in England. Next year’s Festival will take place from May 3-25 and is a celebration of music, theatre, dance, art, film, literature, debate, outdoor and community events in venues and locations across Brighton, Hove and Sussex.
Anoushka Shankar will be Brighton Festival’s 16th Guest Director, following in the footsteps of Anish Kapoor, Brian Eno, Laurie Anderson, Kae Tempest, Lemn Sissay OBE and, in 2024, author and screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce.
On becoming Guest Director, Anoushka Shankar says:
“It brings me so much pride and joy to have been invited to be Brighton Festival’s Guest Director for the 2025 season. I have loved the beauty, energy and eclecticism of Brighton since I was a teenager and was thrilled to play Brighton Festival myself a couple of years ago. I’m elated to now have the chance to get involved in programming a festival of diverse and cross-pollenating art forms from around the globe. It’s my hope that the artists involved in the Festival can draw on their skills and heritages past and present to share perspectives on new ways forward across all areas of our lives, our challenges, and our dreams.”
Andrew Comben, Chief Executive, Brighton Dome & Brighton Festival says:
“Anoushka Shankar is already a much-loved artist by Brighton Festival audiences and we’re thrilled to welcome her as Guest Director for Brighton Festival 2025. Anoushka is a singular artistic voice and an incredible collaborator – her fresh perspective and ideas for new and exciting collaborations with local and international artists will bring a unique vision to the Festival. Her unwavering commitment to and advocacy for social justice will inspire Brighton Festival's wide-ranging and eclectic programme, and we look forward to enabling everyone, from our communities, and beyond, to take part in what I know will be a Festival to remember.”
Shankar will work with the Brighton Festival programming team to develop a diverse and inclusive programme of events, which will be revealed at the official launch in February.
