In announcing the extension today, board chair David Minear said Croall had taken the Fringe to “new levels of success” and implemented significant strategic and structural change since she took on the role in 2016.

“We greatly appreciate the unique blend of creativity and business acumen that she brings to the role.”

The Fringe annual review, released earlier this month, reported that the festival had doubled its economic impact on South Australia in the past six years.

Ticket sales this year were up 9 per cent on 2016, with 655,541 tickets sold, worth a total of $16.2 million.

Croall, who was previously director and CEO of the Sheffield International Documentary Festival in the UK, said today she was looking forward to leading the Fringe into its 60th anniversary year.

There has been some criticism that the growth of the event has made it more difficult for artists to make money. However, Croall said she planned to continue to increase the Fringe industry marketplace which helps artists secure bookings in other places, as well as working to attract more interstate and overseas visitors to the Adelaide Fringe.

“We have set ourselves a target of selling one million tickets a year at the Fringe and we have also set a target to triple our tourists in the next few years.

“This increase in tourist numbers is critical for artists to be able to sell more tickets.”