It’s not long now until Brighton’s buzziest, most vibrant festival is back! The Great Escape will once again take over venues across the city, packing them out with aspiring and established artists all sharing their sound for the love of music. ASBO Magazine will be on the ground, chatting to your future favourites and fully indulging in the 2026 music scene. Last year, sunny Brighton saw rock trio Bones Ate Arfa, high-energy powerhouse Kabeaushè, Aussie emo rock band Sly Withers, bonkers Battlesnake, addictive NADUH, experimental Tjaka, laid back South Summit, explosive Jools, and countless more that we featured in our magazine.
This year, Kingfishr and Peace take the spotlight shows - stay tuned for ASBO’s Must Sees as we get closer to the festival. You can check out the full line up at greatescapefestival.com.
We see The Great Escape as the go-to festival for new music - bringing together around 450 emerging artists from all over the world across 30+ walkable venues in Brighton, plus that pop-up spot down on the beach. It’s where you find your next favourite artist early and catch them up close before they’re headlining the big stages.
It’s not just about the gigs either - the industry shows up in full force, all looking for what’s next. Alongside the music, there’s a whole conference running with panels, debates, keynotes and plenty of chances to connect.
Then you’ve got The Alternative Escape, the Spotlight Shows, secret sets, club nights and those spontaneous link-ups that seem to happen everywhere. Altogether, it turns Brighton into something pretty special for the weekend.
“As the UK’s most exciting and eclectic new music festival, The Great Escape is Brighton’s annual feast of discovery.” – NME
“If anyone had any doubts that The Great Escape is the most important UK music festival for new bands, new trends and making new friends then they most certainly got knocked out of the water this year. 10 years in, and TGE went harder than ever before.”
Crack
“Although similar to the new-music mecca SXSW in Texas, in many ways Britain’s equivalent event is better: more manageable, less brand-led and with just as many emerging talents, who play in tiny venues across Brighton.”
The Times
‘The festival sits in a space all of its own. Billing a very international line-up in a very British city, it can rival any of the international competitors and tops the pile in the UK for value and variety alone.’
Virtual Festivals
‘The Great Escape has established itself as the best place in Europe to discover new bands’
The Times
‘The Cannes of the music world’
Steve Lamacq, BBC Radio 6 Music
“As one the biggest music showcases here in Europe, The Great Escape in Brighton was a fantastic kick off to the UK festival season. Transforming the bustling seaside town into a mecca for music lovers and performing musicians alike … The Great Escape has proved to be once again a monumental success.”
1883 Magazine
“Increasingly exciting, taste-making festival … [A] wild set in a tiny, sweltering club on Friday night is the kind of “Were you there?” moment that makes the Great Escape, well, Great”
Will Hodgkinson, Chief Pop & Rock Critic, The Times