The Kooks Announced for 20th Anniversary Spotlight Show Presented by NME + over 100 New Artists Added to TGE 2026
The Great Escape is thrilled to announce that The Kooks will return to Brighton to headline a very special 20th Anniversary Spotlight Show, presented by NME, at the The Deep End at the TGE Beach Site on Wednesday 13 May 2026.
In a full-circle moment for the festival, the Brighton-formed indie icons were among the breakthrough acts who performed at the very first edition of The Great Escape in 2006. That same year, the band released their multi-platinum debut album Inside In/Inside Out, which also celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2026.
Featuring era-defining hits including Naïve, She Moves in Her Own Way and Seaside, the record helped define a generation of UK indie and established The Kooks as one of the leading voices of the mid-2000s guitar revival. Returning to the city where it all began, this landmark Spotlight Show celebrates both the band’s legacy and two decades of new music discovery at The Great Escape.
Presented in partnership with NME, the show forms part of the festival’s year-long 20th anniversary celebrations, bringing one of TGE’s earliest success stories back to Brighton for a special seaside performance.
Support artists on this show are Dea Motrona and Girl in the Year Above.
Tickets for The Kooks Spotlight Show will be available via standalone tickets.
Artist & TGE Presale: Tuesday 10 March – join the TGE mailing list to access this presale
General Sale: Friday 13 March
Tickets will be available via our website. TGE wristband holders can sign up to our Spotlight Show ticket giveaway here.
100+ New Artists Join the TGE 2026 Line-Up
Alongside the Spotlight Show announcement, The Great Escape has also revealed over 100 new artists joining the 2026 line-up, further expanding a programme packed with the most exciting emerging talent from across the globe.
Among the latest additions are R&B polymath Wesley Joseph, UK alt-indie six-piece Adult DVD, Irish rock duo Dea Matrona, London hip-hop artist Bella Barbe, and Birmingham rapper-producer Tony Bontana. Experimental Quebec math-rock duo Angine de Poitrine and Australian post-punk four-piece dogworld bring boundary-pushing sounds to Brighton, while Dead Dads Club, led by ex-Palma Violets frontman Chilli Jesson, adds post-punk swagger.
Elsewhere on the new announcement, rising Sunderland indie songwriter Tom A. Smith, and Brooklyn alt-indie artist Julia Cumming join the bill alongside Halifax trio The Orielles, Margate Afro-synth-funk outfit Pigeon, Cardiff post-punk/disco group Why Horses?, and emotive indie-folk artist Heidi Curtis.
Further additions include Chanpan, Lauren Auder, Matthew Ifield, Marsy, benchwarmer, HEADSEND, and many more, spanning pop, indie, rap, R&B, electronic, folk, rock and beyond.
With hundreds of emerging artists still to be announced, The Great Escape 2026 continues to build one of its most exciting and globally diverse line-ups yet.
All new acts announced today can be found here
Abbie Piper / Adult DVD/ AK Patterson/ Ally Nicholas / Ana De Llor / Angine de Poitrine / Argyle / Arson / Atomic Lobster / Bella Barbe / Benchwarmer / Bitterfly / BLAIR DAVIE / Boutique Feelings / Bug Teeth / Chanpan / Charli Lucas / Ciao Lucifer / Cusp / Dea Matrona / Dead Dads Club / Dirty Blond / dogworld / East Exchange / Elín Hall / EMNW / Essy Sparrow / Eurotripp / Family Stereo / Fellatio / FEZ / Fool Nelson / Glasshouse Red Spider Mite / Goodbye / Greta Svabo Bech / Half Happy / Hamish / HANK / HEADSEND / Heidi Curtis / Henry Coke / HETTA / Hope Winter / IBSXJAUR / Izzy Withers / Jackson Roy / Jazz Cuti / Jessie Mac / JNR Williams / Joker Starr / Jos Rivers / Julia Cumming / Kilu / La Sécurité / Lauren Auder / LEAO / Legss / LEILA / LEMONSUCKR / Levitation Orchestra / Lina-Mariah / Lisl / Luca George / luvis / LuxJury / Maddie Ashman / Marius DC / Marsy
Matthew Ifield / Maximilian / meduulla / Mitch Santiago / MODERN GUILT / Muroki / My Precious Bunny / Necry Talkie / Opal Mag / Oversize / Pigeon / Power Plush / Problem Patterns / Reece Bibby / Samira Hills / Shaking Hand / Shii / Shtëpi / Sorvina / Spacestation / Spiral Drive / Steel. / Suzan Köcher’s Suprafon / TAIGA / The Baby Seals / The Cases / The Gnomes / The North / The Orielles / The Slow Country / Tim Baker / Tom A. Smith / Tony Bontana / Trampolene / Twat Union / Tygermylk / ugly ozo / Vera Ellen / Wesley Joseph / Weston Loney / Who Shot Scott / Why Horses? / YAKKIE / Yumi and the Weather
To see the full line up so far head to our line up page
New Day & Two-Day Tickets Available Now
If you can’t attend the full festival weekend, individual day tickets and two-day tickets (Friday & Saturday) are now on sale.
These new options offer the perfect way to experience the festival, whether discovering your next favourite artist or enjoying a day by the Brighton seaside packed with live music.
The Great Escape 2026
Taking place 13–16 May 2026 in Brighton, The Great Escape returns for its 20th anniversary edition, bringing together:
450+ emerging artists
30+ walkable venues across Brighton
4,000+ music industry delegates
A world-leading music conference alongside the city-wide festival
Celebrated globally as the UK’s most important new music showcase festival, The Great Escape continues to be the place where the future of music is discovered.