The UK’s most essential new-music industry conference – reimagined for our 20th Anniversary
Returning to Brighton from 13th–15th May 2026, the The Great Escape Conference enters its most ambitious era yet — beginning earlier with an extended Wednesday afternoon programme welcoming arriving delegates into the heart of the conversation.
Designed to reflect and shape the entire music ecosystem, TGE 2026 is built alongside a record-breaking collective of Conference Collaborators, each bringing world-class expertise, community networks and cultural insight directly into the programming process.
Conference Collaborators 2026
This year’s Collaborators collectively span live, venues, labels, rights, mental health, youth development, sustainability, recorded music, licensing, and artist careers. They include:
BPI
PPL
Association of Independent Music (AIM)
BBC Introducing
Council of Music Makers (CMM)
Night Time Industries Association (NTIA)
Youth Music
EarthPercent
CALM
IQ Magazine
Music Venues Alliance Brighton (MVAB)
Together, this expanded collective ensures the 2026 programme champions expert-led, community-shaped sessions, curated insights and future-focused debate across three powerful thematic days and strands.
Themes & Daily Strands Announced So Far
Wednesday 13th May — Live Music & Night Time Culture
Opening day focuses on the future of the live industry, examining:
Venue pressures & resilience
Touring innovations & new models
Evolving audience behaviours
Night-time culture, infrastructure & reform
Curated with contributions from IQ Magazine, NTIA and MVAB, delegates are encouraged to arrive early for a full afternoon of sessions, debates and live-industry insight.
Thursday 14 May — Artist Careers, Rights & Resilience
Thursday turns the spotlight onto artist health, wealth and longevity exploring:
Creative development
Rights, royalties & licensing
Financial resilience & sustainability
New business models & career frameworks
Programmed with CMM, AIM, PPL and CALM, sessions will amplify the voices of practitioners, performers and music makers defining 2026 artist careers.
Friday 15 May — Next Gen Day
Friday celebrates the future of music and the industry’s rising leaders, diving into:
Early-career pathways
Industry access, education & inclusion
Sustainability & climate impact
Emerging artist support
Innovation across platforms, sync & licensing
Curated with Youth Music, BBC Introducing, EarthPercent and BIMM, Friday will platform unforgettable creativity and sector-defining conversation for the next generation.
First Wave of Conference Partners & Events
The Great Escape also unveils its first major partners and event hosts for 2026, presenting networking events, showcases, receptions, cocktail parties and industry brunches across the festival.
These include:
Lead Education Partner: BIMM Institute
Charity Partner: CALM
Lead Country Partner 2026: New Zealand via The New Zealand Music Commission and Live Nation New Zealand
Ringlets, a post-punk quartet signed to the legendary New Zealand Indie label Flying Nun are the first performers from Aotearoa/New Zealand to be announced.
Delegates can expect:
2 New Zealand curated live showcases
Panels on the New Zealand music industry
Country-led industry receptions & networking
Curated editorial and cultural spotlight across TGE 2026
What’s Next?
More Collaborator-curated sessions, partners and keynote speakers still to be announced
The most comprehensive industry programming yet
4000+ global delegates converging in Brighton for career-defining conversation and music discovery
Join us in 2026 as The Great Escape conference levels up, looks forward, and brings the music community together for the UK’s standout industry event of the year.
