The Great Escape Festival is a three day musical invasion of Brighton, running from the 19th to 21st May and focusing on providing a huge range of musical acts across multiple varying venues. The concept has become hugely successful, easily likened to Texas’ own SXSW. 2016 marks the tenth anniversary of the festival, founded in 2006, and the line-up promises not to disappoint regular attendees.
This years line-up’s headliners demonstrate the fantastic musical variety that a festival like The Great Escape provides. Oh Wonder, a mellow, groovy synth-pop duo, released their self-titled debut last year. Likened to Jack Garratt and Låpsley, the band will no doubt blow audience members away in Brighton’s All Saints Church. Songhoy Blues, originating from Mali, are a desert blues four-piece who channel their frustrations over political unrest into music. They released their debut, Music In Exile, in early 2015, with support from members of Blur and Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, and are set to triumph at the Old Market venue on the Friday. The headliner everyone is most excited about however is grime superstar Stormzy, who made waves in mainstream chart music with his unarguably iconic track ‘Shut Up’. His set promises to be as rowdy as it is undoubtly full of middle class local teens on blue WKD.
Other notable acts over the weekend include: Band of Skulls, Michael Kiwanuka, The Joy Formidable , Mystery Jets, Chastity Belt, Clean Cut Kid, Highasakite, and even a Craig David DJ set. With over 300 acts for the duration of the weekend, The Great Escape festival is as economic as it is intriguing. Boasting multiple sounds and performances by bands that are set to be the next big things in their genre, this festival is truly an education in music, set in a city that prides itself on its liberal artistic community, vegetarian/vegan accessibility, and its beach front location.
With tickets hitting a maximum of £60* for an entire weekend, the festival is extremely good value for money, leaving money spare to splurge on accommodation more comfortable than a broken tent in a muddy field, food more nutritious than a dirty £5 cardboard burger, and alcohol slightly more enjoyable than that lukewarm Strongbow Dark Fruit you find in your sleeping bag on the final day of the festivities.
For more information on the line-up, tickets and venue, you can visit the festival’s website via this link. Stormzy tickets are sold separately.
*Current saver ticket prices
