The Great Escape

Every May, The Great Escape turns Brighton into a city-wide celebration of new music and musical discovery. Across venues throughout the city, emerging artists from the UK and around the world perform for audiences eager to find their next favourite band, singer, songwriter or electronic act.

The festival's defining quality is its emphasis on discovery. Rather than concentrating on a single main stage, it spreads performances across a network of venues, creating an atmosphere in which the next great musical find might be playing in an intimate club, a packed basement or a small room just around the corner. Audiences can build their own itineraries, move between performances and encounter artists they may never have heard before.

Alongside the live music programme, The Great Escape hosts an industry conference that brings together musicians, record labels, promoters, managers, media and other music professionals to discuss the business and future of the industry. This gives the festival a role beyond entertainment: it is also a meeting place for the people shaping contemporary music.

For Brighton, the event brings a particular energy. Streets fill with music fans, venues become discovery spaces and the city feels connected to the international music scene. Whether you're a dedicated music fan or simply curious about new sounds, The Great Escape is an opportunity to hear tomorrow's favourites today.