Brighton’s premier music event returns with an electrifying line-up of 450+ emerging artists from across the globe.
The Great Escape is the festival for new music, showcasing 450 emerging artists from all over the world in 30+ walkable venues across the city and a pop-up festival site on Brighton Beach. It’s the first place to discover all your new favourite artists and see them in an intimate setting before they go on to headline major festival stages.
TGE is also attended by the music industry who are on the hunt for the next big thing. A conference is run alongside the gigs featuring insightful panels, topical debates, keynote speeches and networking opportunities in abundance.
The Alternative Escape, the Spotlight Shows, secret gigs, club nights and spontaneous collaborations all add to the festivities and make a wonderful, vibrant Festival Atmosphere. It’s a time to engage with a community of music lovers in the heart of Brighton, filled with opportunities to create lasting memories. It’s a gateway to experiencing the pulse of new music within a festival that has captivated audiences for nearly two decades. From intimate gigs to major showcases, each moment is designed to make you feel excited about the next generation of artists. Definitely a weekend in Brighton not to miss.
Festival History
The Great Escape was founded in 2006, inspired by the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas. It aimed to create a similar platform for showcasing new music in the UK. Many acts have performed at previous Great Escapes prior to becoming famous, with the most noteworthy being Adele in 2007 and Ed Sheeran in 2011. Other artists that have gone on to bigger and better things after appearing at The Great Escape include The Kooks (2006), The Wombats (2008), Mumford & Sons (2009), Ellie Goulding (2010), Grimes (2012), Christine & The Queens (2013), Charli XCX (2014), Rag ‘n’ Bone Man (2015), Stormzy (2016), Slaves (2017), and IDLES (2018).
This year, the multi-day event will take place in Brighton from 14 – 17 May. Day and two-day tickets will be available for fans who are unable to be there for the whole four days. The new Billboard UK Live Stage will be headlined by indie outfit English Teacher, the Leeds band whose debut album This Could Be Texas won the 2024 Mercury Prize. With over 280 acts, the spotlight falls on Rizzle Kicks and Pete Doherty, and some of the best up and coming Global talent on the circuit this year.
Further Information: The Great Escape - The Festival For New Music