An essential condition for talented cultural entrepreneurs to make a living in the creative industries is novelideas that lead to new projects and productions. The growth and expansion of cultural entrepreneurshipsdepend on the inherent tensions of continuous innovation. This article contributes to the literature by conductinga systematic literature review of the tensions that cultural entrepreneurs face when managing continuousinnovation. The authors present a conceptual framework that classifies managerial, entrepreneurial,innovation-related and network-related tensions. This serves to increase our understanding of the complexityof tensions within and between disciplines for cultural entrepreneurs needing to innovate continually. Thearticle also discusses the implications for further research, practice and policy.