LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: THE GREAT ESCAPE FESTIVAL 2026

This year’s edition of The Great Escape kicked off in Brighton on May 13th with a line-up packed full of rising artists across indie rock, pop, electronic, punk and more. Designed as a festival for discovering music, it featured more than 450 emerging artists performing across over 30 venues throughout the city. British indie-rock band The Kooks were forced to withdraw after lead singer Luke Pritchard suffered an injury. Stepping in to open the festival on May 13th were Canadian experimental duo Angine de Poitrine, who drew a huge queue outside the TGE Beach stage, hoping to make it inside the tent. Known for their absurd visuals and costumes, the band delivered a performance that felt like stepping into another world and seemingly captivated the loyal fans at the front. Alongside the official line-up, Brighton also hosted The Alternative Escape, which offered another opportunity to discover more than 150 emerging artists performing for free across venues around Brighton.