The Great Escape 2026: full schedule, new artists & stage hosts revealed

Today The Great Escape, taking place from 13-16 May 2025 in Brighton, unveils its full festival schedule for this year’s edition, which can be accessed via the official The Great Escape mobile app. The Great Escape mobile app helps fans navigate the mammoth line-up of 450+ artists, build personalised schedules, and receive live on-site updates. It is available to download for free here.

Following the schedule announcement, The Great Escape also reveals its 2026 stage hosts including media partners Billboard UK, BBC Introducing, Clash, DIY, Dork, Kerrang!, NME, Notion, So Young, The Independent, The Line of Best,Ticketmaster New Music, live agencies ITB, ROAM, WME, management company Raw Power, and independent record labels Bella Union, Hospital Records, Rough Trade, Transgressive Records, Third Man Records, among many more.

The Great Escape also announces a further 43 artists joining the 2026 lineup, continuing its commitment to championing the most exciting new talent from across the globe. Among the latest additions are fast-rising neo-soul voice Nectar Woode, boundary-pushing experimental outfit Mandy, Indiana, and the electrifying Working Men’s Club, whose fusion of post-punk and electronic influences has earned widespread acclaim. They are joined by a diverse wave of emerging and established names including Gabriella Cilmi, Walt Disco, Lizzie Esau, Rafferty, and Oumy, alongside international artists such as La Plata, Tian Qiyi, showmore, and BANSHIMOKU, reflecting the festival’s broad and forward-thinking musical scope.

Synonymous with new music discovery and acting as a springboard for rising artists, The Great Escape is the festival for new music. Playing host to over 450 up-and-coming artists and hotly tipped talent across 35+ walkable venues, alongside the music industry-led TGE conference, the festival will kick off the 2026 season from 13 – 16th May in Brighton, England. Tickets for The Great Escape festival are on sale here

WEDNESDAY 13 MAY STAGE HIGHLIGHTS

For 2026, The Great Escape continues to expand into the Wednesday of the festival, once again delivering four full days of music programming. Opening the week, The Line of Best Fit will host a showcase at Green Door Store featuring Sword II, The Healing Power of Horses, Pollyfromthedirt, and PISS. Meanwhile, BBC Introducing Sussex and Surrey takes over Concorde 2 with performances from Winter Gardens, Gilska, Room Service, and Lemonsuckr. Over at Patterns Downstairs, Notion will present Boutique Feelings, Elín Hall, Sword II, Hemi Hemmingway, and The Itch, marking a strong start to the festival’s opening day.

THURSDAY 14 MAY STAGE HIGHLIGHTS

On Thursday, The Great Escape continues its city-wide celebration of new music with an eclectic programme of showcases across Brighton. This year’s Lead Country Partner New Zealand hosts two showcases at Patterns, and So Young takes over Chalk with performances from Sylvie’s Head, Little Grandad, Madra Salach, and Westside Cowboy, while Rough Trade hosts at Charles Street Tap featuring Twat Union, Max Winter, Pigeon, Sunday Mourners, and The Orielles. At Dust, Hard of Hearing presents a diverse lineup including Morn, Slag, Annie Dog, Salarymen, Ribbon Skirt, Bathing Suits, and IBSXJAUR, while Resident hosts at Green Door Store with Brother Wallace, Ain’t, Saint Claire, BED, PISS, and Unsafe Space Garden. Over at Patterns, Clash curates a two floor takeover featuring artists including Clothesline from Hell, Really Good Time, BIG WETT, SILVERWINGKILLER, TAIGA, alongside Archie, Tukki, AVA Joe, Cowboyy, and more. Elsewhere, BBC Radio 1 presenter Jodie Bryant hosts a showcase at Revenge featuring Lukas Oscar, Au/Ra, Sexy Tadhg, and Girl Group, alongside additional takeovers at the venue from One Fiinx. On the seafront, Ticketmaster New Music and WME present beachside lineups including Lime Garden, Lottery Winners, and The Haunted Youth. Further highlights include a 20 year anniversary celebration from Raw Power at The Old Market, plus showcases from ROAM at Komedia Basement and ITB at The Prince Albert, bringing yet more emerging talent to the heart of the city.

FRIDAY 15 MAY STAGE HIGHLIGHTS

As the weekend approaches, Friday sees The Great Escape ramp up across Brighton with another wave of standout showcases. Returning news partner The Independent hosts a TGE Spotlight Show at Daltons, with Peaches supported by Bimini at the Brighton Dome Concert Hall. A major highlight for 2026 sees NME join The Great Escape as a new media partner, bringing its renowned tastemaker energy to The Old Market. Known for spotlighting the next wave of breakthrough artists, NME’s debut showcase features a lineup including Any Young Mechanic, Chanpan, Girl Scout, and Mandy, Indiana, marking an exciting new addition to the festival’s 2026 programme. Nearby, Notion takes over Quarters with Arima Ederra, Raghd, The Orchestra (For Now), Sassy 009, and PVA. Along the seafront, Billboard UK curates a packed beach lineup featuring artists including Adult DVD, Madra Salach, and Keo, joined by The Teamshowcasing emerging names such as My First Time. Across the city, DIY brings Spacestation, Marsey, and Men An Tol to Horatio’s, while Transgressive Records and Third Man Records host standout bills at Chalk and Dust. Elsewhere, Wordplay heads to Patterns, while Earth and Ones to Watch take over Revenge. From the Royal Albert Hall’s curated showcase at Brighthelm Centre to Pure at The Hope & Ruin and Free Trade at The Prince Albert, Friday delivers a city-wide snapshot of the most exciting new music around.

The Great Escape has also revealed details for The Late Escape, its official after-hours programme spotlighting cutting-edge electronic and club talent across Brighton. This year’s series is led by Hospital Records, marking 30 years of one of the most influential and trusted names in drum & bass, in a special collaboration with b:electronic. Taking centre stage on Friday, the takeover celebrates Hospital Records’ legacy with some of the top names in drum and bass such as Etherwood, Hoax, Solah, and Stay-C The night also features a Room 2 hosted by Brighton institution Tru Thoughts, further anchoring the event in the city’s rich musical heritage. Running from 11:30PM to 4AM, The Late Escape spans key Brighton venues across the weekend, with stand-alone tickets on sale now and The Great Escape wristband holders granted access subject to capacity.

SATURDAY 16 MAY STAGE HIGHLIGHTS

Bringing The Great Escape to a powerful close, Saturday delivers a final burst of bold new sounds across Brighton. On the seafront, Get In Her Ears hosts a high energy beach showcase featuring Jessie Mac, Steel., YAKKIE, The Baby Seals, and Problem Patterns, while Bella Union heads to Quarters with a lineup including Family Stereo, My Precious Bunny, LuxJury, Patche, and Congratulations. New for 2026, the festival introduces its New Press initiative, inviting emerging media platforms to host their own stages. Highlights include The New Age Magazine x Still Listening at Horatio’s, Crafting Room at Komedia, and Kinda Weird taking over Patterns, alongside further showcases from Negativeland at The Prince Albert and The Indie Scene at Water Bear. Sounds Australia will return to host all three stages at TGE’s beach site. Closing out the weekend in style, Dork returns to host the festival’s official closing party, promising a huge final send off with a special secret headliner still under wraps, bringing four days of new music discovery to an unforgettable finish.

Returning partners for 2026 include ACS, AWAL, Bandcamp, Downtown Music, PPL, PRS Foundation, PRS For Music, Qobuz, SESAC, The Orchard, Vevo, and Virgin Music, while Country and Trade partners include CIMA, M For Montreal, CNM, Zeitgeist, Music from Ireland, NOMEX, Creative Scotland, Showcase Cyrmu, Export Music Sweden, and Swiss Music Export.

FULL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE REVEALED

The full schedule for The Great Escape’s industry-leading conference is revealed today, featuring a host of newly announced sessions. Highlights include a keynote conversation between boundary-pushing artist Peaches and TRANS VOICES co-founder ILĀ, presented by The Independent, alongside new panels from PPL, PRS and AWAL. The programme also includes the return of speed networking sessions, offering delegates the opportunity to connect with global festival bookers, live agents, music supervisors and promoters. Taking place from Wednesday 15 – Friday 17 May, the conference will mark its 20th anniversary with its most ambitious and expansive edition to date.