The countdown to The Great Escape 2026 has officially begun. We’re thrilled to announce that FIRST FIFTY, our annual live launch event, will return to East London on Thursday 13th November 2025, spotlighting the very first artists set to perform at next year’s festival in Brighton.
Taking place across eight buzzing venues, FIRST FIFTY offers an early glimpse of the future of music, with performances from some of the most exciting emerging artists from around the globe. Expect everything from soul and alt-pop to punk, grunge and beyond — this is your chance to discover tomorrow’s stars in intimate settings before they hit the big stages in May.
This year’s line-up includes Girl Group (pictured), Girl Tones, James Emmanuel, Persia Holder, Sean Trelford, Sistra, The Itch, Tommy WÁ and many more, presented in partnership with BBC Introducing, Clash, DIY, Dork, Notion, The Independent, Ticketmaster New Music, and for the first time, OnesToWatch. We’re also excited to introduce two new venues — The George Tavern and The Jago — joining our East London takeover for 2025.
Tickets for each show start from just £8 and are available now via an exclusive 48-hour presale for mailing list subscribers. General sale opens at 10AM on Friday 19th September.
Alongside the FIRST FIFTY launch, we’re proud to announce Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) as our official charity partner for 2026. With the festival coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Week next May, this important partnership will help amplify CALM’s vital work in suicide prevention and mental health awareness throughout the festival.
Applications for artists to perform at The Great Escape 2026 are also now open, in partnership with CD Baby.
The Great Escape will return to Brighton from 13–16 May 2026, hosting over 450 artists across 35+ venues, alongside our renowned music industry conference. Tickets are on sale.