The Great Escape has announced its schedule for 2026 and confirmed new artists set to perform.
Set to return to Brighton between May 13 and 16, this year will mark the 20th anniversary edition and see performances from Peaches, The Lottery Winners, Villanelle, BIG WETT and many more.
NME will also present a special spotlight show from The Kooks, and Mel C is among the many names who are set to appear as a keynote speaker. Find any remaining tickets here.
The event is set to play host to over 450 up-and-coming artists and hotly tipped talent across over 35 walkable venues in the city, and organisers have now revealed that the full festival schedule for this year’s instalment is available to view. It can be found via the official The Great Escape mobile app.
Updates also include the full range of 2026 stage hosts lined-up for 2026, including NME, Billboard UK, BBC Introducing, Clash, DIY, Dork, Kerrang!, The Independent, The Line of Best Fit and more, as well as independent record labels Bella Union, Hospital Records, Rough Trade, Transgressive Records, and Third Man Records.
With less than one month left to go before the festival kicks off, organisers have also added 43 artists to the line-up.
These include rising neo-soul singer Nectar Woode, post-punk stars Working Men’s Club, and international artists such as La Plata, Tian Qiyi, showmore, and BANSHIMOKU.
Peaches has been announced as joining the conference programme for 2026, and also joining the line-up is the boundary pushing former NME Cover stars Mandy, Indiana. Thanks to their industrial sound and French vocals, the band earned a spot on the NME 100 of 2022 and a deal with tastemaking indie label Fire Talk.
Their first album, 2023’s ‘I’ve Seen A Way’, was one of the year’s best indie albums and took them on their first big tours across Europe and the US.
As highlighted by the newly released schedule, Wednesday May 13 will host performances from Sword II, The Healing Power of Horses, Pollyfromthedirt, PISS and more, while the Thursday will see artists including Clothesline from Hell, Really Good Time, BIG WETT, SILVERWINGKILLER, TAIGA, alongside Archie, Tukki, AVA Joe, and Cowboyy.
Friday (May 15) will see NME join The Great Escape as a new media partner, curating a stage at The Old Market with Any Young Mechanic, Chanpan, Girl Scout, and Mandy, Indiana. There will also be ‘The Late Escape’ taking place on this day – the official after-hours programme spotlighting cutting-edge electronic and club talent across Brighton.
The final day of TGE 2026 will host performances from Jessie Mac, Steel., YAKKIE, The Baby Seals, Problem Patterns, Family Stereo, My Precious Bunny, LuxJury, Patche, and Congratulations.
The NME stage at The Great Escape 2026 with Mandy, Indiana Girl Scout and more was announced yesterday (Wednesday April 15). It is designed to showcase the current class of NME Cover artists, alongside talent that NME is tipping for the first time.
NME is also launching the NME 100 Gig Guide: The Great Escape Edition – a definitive guide to seeing artists from the NME 100 at this year’s festival, as many of which will be performing across the entire Great Escape programme. The guide will map out exactly where and when to catch every NME 100 artist at the event, and is set to arrive later this month.
NME will also moderate a special panel at the event with War Child UK about the ‘Help (2)’ charity album, which featured contributions from the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Pulp, Damon Albarn, Fontaines D.C., Young Fathers, and a comeback single from Arctic Monkeys.
