Saturday 14 November 2026
The Great Escape has completed its First Fifty line-up for 2027, with 30 new artists from the UK and beyond joining the bill. New additions include Florence Road, Man/Woman/Chainsaw, The North, Billboard Style and World News. The festival for new music will kick off the 2027 season in Brighton from 12 to 15 May 2027, and tickets are on sale now. Here’s what you need to know.
1. The festival for new music
Synonymous with new music discovery and acting as a springboard for rising artists, The Great Escape bills itself as the festival for new music. It plays host to over 450 up-and-coming artists and hotly tipped talent across 35+ walkable venues in Brighton, so you can hop from one gig to the next on foot. Running alongside the shows is the music industry-led TGE conference. The First Fifty brings together emerging artists from across the UK and beyond, offering an early look at some of the exciting talent heading to next year’s festival, with hundreds more acts still to be revealed.
2. Florence Road and Man/Woman/Chainsaw lead the new names
Irish indie rock quartet Florence Road are among the latest additions, with a sold-out Irish headline tour behind them and their biggest UK and European headline run set for next spring. They are joined by London art-rock outfit Man/Woman/Chainsaw, whose acclaimed debut album Cannonball arrived in August. Hotly tipped bands The North, Billboard Style and World News also join the bill. Further highlights include rising soul and R&B talent nomi., bassist, producer and DJ Marla Kether, and cellist and singer-songwriter Yeemz, who arrives fresh from touring with Phoebe Bridgers.
3. A Brighton duo and plenty more to discover
Also confirmed are Tru Thoughts duo Kyla Kilzer & Max Noir, combining Brighton-based singer-songwriter Kyla’s vocals with Max’s blend of garage, alternative R&B and hip-hop. Completing the latest announcement are Silver Gore, Bank Holiday, Painkiller, MURPHY, The Rose Hips, TRAVO, Allegra Krieger and studio20. The new additions join previously announced names including Esmeralda Road, Spanish Horses, Bathing Suits, recent Triskel Award winners Casual Smart, Australian trio Dumbhead, Irish singer-songwriter Jordan Joy and French band Chest. Other First Fifty acts include Angelface, Compost Compost Compost, jo from school, State of Grace and Xanadu.
4. Germany is the Lead Country Partner
Germany has been named as the Lead Country Partner for The Great Escape 2027, and German acts Violet and Louis Ottley have joined the bill. The partnership will celebrate ten years of the ZEITGEIST New German Talent Showcase at The Great Escape. As part of its anniversary programme, 12 emerging German artists will perform at the festival. It’s a great opportunity to discover some of the most exciting new music coming out of Germany without leaving the south coast, and adds to what is already a strongly international line-up for next May.
5. A truly international bill
Adding to the global flavour of the First Fifty are New Zealand’s Awning and Australian acts Divebar Youth, Public Figures and Fade Evare. Ireland is well represented by For Nina, Tadhg Nolan, Croithe and Aniar, while Swiss band Lone Assembly and French artists Cécile Lacharme and Eat Girls also feature. The line-up was celebrated with the First Fifty live launch on Thursday 12 November, when acts played seven East London venues including Oslo, Moth Club and The Shacklewell Arms. Many of those artists will now be heading to Brighton in May, so it’s a good time to start building your must-see list.
Tickets and info
The Great Escape 2027
12-15 May 2027
Brighton, England
Over 450 artists across 35+ walkable venues, plus the TGE conference
Tickets on sale now