Brighton has always been a city built on live music, and each May The Great Escape cements that reputation by bringing hundreds of emerging acts to local stages. The festival returned earlier this summer from 13 to 16 May 2026, taking over more than 30 venues across Brighton and Hove, along with a dedicated pop-up festival site on Brighton Beach. Beyond the ticketed gig schedule, the four-day event ran alongside an industry conference featuring panel discussions, keynote talks, and networking sessions, alongside secret gigs and club nights dotted around town.
Every week we pick 🏆 the 5 best 🏆 things to do in Brighton and send them to your inbox. Just one weekly email, no spam.
By submitting your email, you accept our Privacy Policy
This year's programme brought together around 450 up-and-coming performers spanning various genres. High-profile Spotlight Shows formed a central anchor of the line-up, featuring established names and rising acts alike such as Yard Act, Sinead O'Brien, Peaches, and Kingfishr. Kingfishr took to the stage at the Brighton Dome Concert Hall on Thursday 14 May, delivering a separately ticketed headline show that stood out as one of the week's major indoor events.
As always, the festival served as a showcase for fresh talent introduced earlier in the season through the First Fifty announcement. Among the notable inclusions were Manchester band Westside Cowboy, who previously won Glastonbury's Emerging Talent Competition in 2025 and released their second EP So Much Country 'Till We Get There in January 2026. The roster of new acts also featured Ukrainian producer and singer Carpetman, known for tracks like Shades of Gray, and Vancouver punk outfit PISS, who recently joined the Sub Pop Records roster.
Daily schedules were packed with performances across local spaces, offering music lovers a chance to catch artists just as their careers take off. Wednesday's opening day featured sets from acts such as Arima Ederra, Bnnyhunna, and The Itch. The momentum continued through Thursday with Lime Garden, Walt Disco, and Heartworms, before leading into Friday and Saturday sets from Working Men's Club, PVA, Do Nothing, and ARXX. By utilising existing venues throughout the city, the event maintained its signature multi-venue format, encouraging audiences to move between neighbourhood spaces to discover their next favourite artist.
Published Date
31 July 2026
More information
