Next Edinburgh Festival director named as Fergus Linehan The Edinburgh International Festival, most prestigious multi-artform festival in the world, has chosen its next director. Fergus Linehan will take on the post previously held by luminaries such as Frank Dunlop and John Drummond next October. Linehan, 43, has previously been an international festival director for Sydney Festival and Dublin Theatre Festival. Until 2012 he was Head of Music at Sydney Opera House and is currently working with international arts companies, including Dublin City Council. Linehan's achievements include growing Sydney Festival's annual turnover from aus$12 million to more than aus$20 million between 2004 and 2009 through ticket sales, commercial sponsorship and government funding. Linehan said he was "delighted and deeply honoured" to be appointed and was looking forward to "safeguarding the founding principles of the festival." Donal Wilson, Chair of the Edinburgh International Festival Society credited Linehan's "highligh successful track record" as well as the fact he had previously lived in Edinburgh. Linehan will now work part-time to programme the 2015 Edinburgh International Festival, until he takes up the directorship full-time in October 2014. His initial planning period will cover five festivals, from 2015-2019. The present festival director, Jonathan Mills, has been in the role since 2006.