The Great Escape Conference 2026

The Great Escape (TGE) is returning to Brighton this spring, and the 2026 edition is a significant one, marking the event’s 20th Anniversary. The full schedule, combining both the festival and the industry conference, runs from Wednesday, May 13, 2026, through Saturday, May 16, 2026. As usual, the event transforms the city, utilizing over 30 venues and a pop-up site on Brighton Beach to showcase new talent, while simultaneously hosting the UK’s essential music industry conference.

If you are focused on the business side, the conference component is specifically scheduled from Wednesday, May 13, to Friday, May 15. For this anniversary, the program has been expanded, starting earlier on Wednesday afternoon to welcome the expected convergence of over 4000 global delegates. The discussions are structured around three distinct daily themes. Wednesday focuses on Live Music & Night Time Culture, addressing the resilience of venues and innovations in touring. Thursday shifts to Artist Careers, Rights & Resilience, covering everything from financial longevity to new business models. Finally, Friday is dedicated to Next Gen Day, focusing on early career pathways, inclusion, sustainability, and climate impact. Access to these sessions requires a Delegate Pass, which was initially available at an early bird rate of £242.

Beyond the panels, the festival side is where the music discovery happens, featuring more than 450 emerging artists from around the world. The 2026 event has a strong international focus, with New Zealand confirmed as the Principal Partner Country, supported by The New Zealand Music Commission. This partnership means we can expect curated showcases, networking receptions, and panels dedicated to the New Zealand music scene, with the post-punk quartet Ringlets already announced as one of the acts coming over. The conference also benefits from an expanded collective of UK partners, including BPI, PPL, AIM, and the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), ensuring the discussions reflect the entire music ecosystem.

Whether you are a professional tracking the future of the music business or simply looking to discover the next wave of talent across Brighton’s venues, TGE 2026 covers a lot of ground over those four days in May.