The U.K’s Girl Group, Swedish musician Isak Benjamin, and Nigeria-born singer-songwriter Tommy WÁ are among the showcasing artists confirmed for The Great Escape 2026.
The new music extravaganza returns to Brighton, England next summer (May 13-16), spotlighting a wealth of emerging talent from across the globe.
The first 50 artists who will grace its stages were announced on Wednesday morning (Sept. 17), including French multi-instrumentalist Max Baby, Irish indie-pop musician Annie-Dog, Australia’s Teenage Joans, electronic duo SISTRA and Toronto songwriter Clothesline from Hell. The full list will feature 450 acts, according to a statement.
Ahead of next year’s festival, The Great Escape will host its First Fifty showcase at venues across east London in November. The live launch will see a number of those acts announced today hit stages at eight different venues in the capital, including Moth Club, Oslo, and The George Tavern.
Tickets for each First Fifty show start at £8 ($10.91) and are available now via an exclusive presale accessible via The Great Escape’s mailing list. General sale for all shows will open at 10 a.m. (BST) this Friday (Sept. 19) through the festival’s official website.
Additionally, suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is announced as the lead charity partner for The Great Escape 2026. Attendees will have the option to donate to the charity when they purchase their tickets.
In a press statement, Simon Gunning, CEO of CALM said: “Music is part of the DNA of CALM – right from the time Tony Wilson helped us launch. We use it to reach more people who need us. To make some noise about suicide and help save lives. That’s why it’s so brilliant to be The Great Escape’s lead charity partner.”
The 2025 edition of The Great Escape welcomed sets from the likes of English Teacher, Daffo, RabbitFoot, Courting, My First Time, Westside Cowboy and RIP Magic, all of whom performed as part of the Billboard U.K. Live experience. The takeover marked the inaugural Billboard U.K. Live event.
For tickets and more information for The Great Escape 2026, visit the festival’s official website.
