Meet Aarhus Festival's new director

In less than a month, Aarhus Festival’s 60th anniversary edition will kick off. This year’s festival will not only celebrate the past – it will also mark the end of an era and the beginning of a new one.

On October 1st, Jakob Tekla Jørgensen will take over as our new director!

Jakob Tekla Jørgensen brings more than 15 years of leadership experience from theatres and cultural institutions across Denmark – most recently as director of Kolding Egnsteater, and previously of Teater Nordkraft in Aalborg and White Hole Theater in Viborg.

He has deep insight into the cultural scene in Aarhus and a strong love for the city, where he has lived on and off since 1995. His first memories of Aarhus Festival go all the way back to his childhood in the 1980s.

“I am both honoured and excited to lead Aarhus Festival. Aarhus is my city. I know its rhythm, its cracks, and its poetry – and I look forward to bringing the city together around unforgettable moments,” says Jakob Tekla Jørgensen, describing the role as his “dream job.”

A cultural entrepreneur full of “quirky ideas”

Jakob Tekla Jørgensen is known for his ability to combine local anchoring, audience development, and cross-sector collaboration.

He is particularly interested in working at the intersection of art, technology, sustainability, and urban development – something he has explored in different ways in Haderslev, Aalborg, Viborg, and Kolding.

With an academic background in philosophy, Jørgensen is not afraid to think big, differently, and boldly. A quality that was key to his selection as new director:

“Jakob is a cultural entrepreneur who brings both solid professional experience and a deep understanding of Aarhus and the festival’s legacy. With his broad experience and quirky ideas, I’m confident we’ve found the right person to continue developing Aarhus Festival – so we’ll keep seeing surprising events and spectacular signature moments in the years to come, to the delight of the citizens of Aarhus and visitors alike,” says Anders Winnerskjold, Mayor of Aarhus and Chair of the Aarhus Festival Board.

Aarhus Festival as a cultural statement beyond the city limits

Jakob Tekla Jørgensen will spend the remainder of 2025 shaping the vision for future editions of the festival in close dialogue with the board, the secretariat, and the festival’s strong network of partners in the cultural and business sectors. But his starting point is already clear:

“Aarhus Festival is the OG of festivals – older than Woodstock and fresher than wild garlic in Riis Skov in April. It holds both the 'j' in beer and art with a capital A. And a smile. Because, as the comedian Victor Borge said, the shortest distance between two people is a smile. In the festival, that smile becomes a shared sense of belonging – opening doors to new ideas and unexpected perspectives. It’s a cultural statement that echoes far beyond the city. That’s my starting point,” says Jakob Tekla Jørgensen.

We look forward to welcoming Jakob to the festival team right after our grand 60th anniversary edition – which also marks the final Aarhus Festival under the leadership of Rikke Øxner.