This year’s 2026 festival is one to watch out for, marking The Great Escape’s 20th
anniversary, celebrating two decades setting the global stage for new music. The Festival
has been running every May since its establishment in 2006, acting as a vault of discovery –
catching acts such as Cage The Elephant, Metronomy, and Wolf Alice early on in their
careers playing underground venues before making it big.
With hundreds of acts playing throughout venues across the city of Brighton from the 13th to
the 16th of May, across various genres from Punk and Metal to Country and Soul, there is
bound to be a show for everyone. The Spotlight Shows this year feature Kingfishr on
Thursday the 14th and Peaches (plus Bimni) on Friday the 15th at the Brighton Dome, a
venue holding over 200 years of history at the heart of the city. All shows are first-come, first
serve, so be sure to queue up to any must-see acts early to avoid disappointment!
The Alternative Escape is The Great Escape’s underground counterpart, curated by
independent labels and promoters to give a platform for fresh talent in Brighton. This sector
is free to attend, giving fans a chance to discover emerging artists freely and accessibly,
while giving the talent a platform for exposure to kick-start their careers.
Alongside the festival, The Great Escape runs a Conference that features professionals from
across the global music industry in the form of keynote speakers and panels. This year’s
themes cover Live Music & Night-Time Culture as well as Artist Careers, Rights & Resilience
in partnership with various established institutions specialising in these sectors to bring
world-class expertise to the table. These are the rooms where it happens, encapsulating the
future of music through showcases and networking opportunities.
The Great Escape prides itself on bringing together a collective of up-and-coming artists and
musical acts from across the globe before they hit the Brighton wave, so who will you
discover?
