The Great Escape returned to Brighton from Wednesday 13 May to Saturday 16 May 2026, celebrating its 20th anniversary by transforming the city into a massive showcase for emerging music. With a daily capacity of 15,000 and tickets priced at 108, the festival took over more than 30 walkable venues across Brighton, alongside a dedicated pop-up site right on Brighton Beach. This year's edition featured over 450 up-and-coming artists from around the world, making it a key gathering for music industry professionals and local fans looking to discover new talent before they hit major festival main stages. Alongside the extensive live music schedule, a dedicated industry conference ran from Wednesday to Friday, featuring panels, networking events, and an opening conversation between artist Peaches and ILĀ from TRANS VOICES.
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The daily schedule was packed with curated showcases from various media partners and record labels. On Wednesday 13 May, the action kicked off with The Line of Best Fit hosting Sword II, The Healing Power of Horses, Pollyfromthedirt, and PISS at the Green Door Store, while BBC Introducing Sussex and Surrey took over Concorde 2 with Winter Gardens, Gilska, Room Service, and Lemonsuckr. Thursday 14 May saw New Zealand feature as the lead country partner at Patterns, while Rough Trade hosted Twat Union, Max Winter, Pigeon, Sunday Mourners, and The Orielles at the Charles Street Tap. On Friday 15 May, the Brighton Dome Concert Hall hosted a spotlight show with Peaches supported by Bimini, and NME curated a lineup at The Old Market featuring Any Young Mechanic, Chanpan, Girl Scout, and Mandy, Indiana. The festival wrapped up on Saturday 16 May with showcases like Bella Union at Quarters and the official closing party hosted by Dork.
Several key local venues served as the backbone for the four-day event. The Brighton Dome Concert Hall on Church Street, with a capacity of up to 1,800, hosted the major spotlight shows and offered extensive accessibility facilities, including wheelchair viewing platforms and infrared hearing assistance. Down on Madeira Drive, the 600-capacity Concorde 2 hosted key showcases and provided complimentary assistance tickets for disabled visitors. The Green Door Store, tucked away under the Trafalgar Arches near the station, offered its intimate 170-capacity room for early evening sets before transitioning into club nights. Meanwhile, Chalk in Pool Valley accommodated up to 875 attendees, utilizing its main room, mezzanine bar, and Martin Audio sound system to host high-energy performances throughout the weekend.
Published Date
2 July 2026
