NME Announces Stage At The Great Escape 2026
And The NME 100 Gig Guide: The Great Escape Edition
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM; 15 April 2026 – Today, NME (nme.com) announces a dedicated NME Stage at The Great Escape 2026 and The NME 100 Gig Guide: The Great Escape Edition – the definitive guide to seeing artists on the NME 100, NME’s annual list of essential emerging artists, live in Brighton this May.
The NME Stage at The Old Market on 15 May will feature members of the current class of NME Cover artists, alongside talent that NME is tipping for the first time. Australian indie five-piece Any Young Mechanic will open the night, followed by New York City alt-pop trio Chanpan. Taking the stage then will be Swedish garage rockers Girl Scout and French/Mancunian noiseniks Mandy, Indiana. Both bands are recent stars of The Cover, NME’s flagship cover story franchise spotlighting the best and brightest in new music, as well as alumni of the NME 100, NME’s annual list spotlighting global acts set to shape the future of music.
Artists from the NME 100 past and present are performing across the entire Great Escape programme, spread throughout venues all over Brighton. There is simply no better place to see the NME 100 live. The NME 100 Gig Guide: The Great Escape Edition – mapping out exactly where and when to catch every NME 100 artist at the festival – will be published at the end of April at nme.com. Count down to the launch of the NME 100 Gig Guide: The Great Escape Edition here: nme.com/100/great-escape-2026-gig-guide. To explore the full NME 100 of 2026 list ahead of the festival, visit nme.com/100.
“I’m so excited to announce the return of the NME Stage at the Great Escape with an electrifying line-up, and can’t wait to see Any Young Mechanic, Chanpan, Girl Scout and Mandy, Indiana pack out the Old Market. NME and The Great Escape have long shared a common goal of music discovery, exemplified in the overlap between NME 100 acts and TGE performers. The Great Escape edition of the NME 100 Gig Guide will be NME readers’ handy companion as they check out the best emerging artists in Brighton this year,” said NME Managing Editor (Music) Karen Gwee.
“The Great Escape has always been about championing the next wave of global talent, and our new partnership with NME brings that mission to life in an exciting way. The NME Stage and the NME 100 Gig Guide are brilliant platforms for discovery, helping fans and industry alike connect with the artists who are shaping the future of music. We’re proud to work together to spotlight such a diverse and dynamic line-up in Brighton this year,” said Rory Bett, CEO of MAMA Festivals and VIP Nation Europe.
The NME Stage at The Great Escape will feature Any Young Mechanic, Chanpan, Girl Scout and Mandy, Indiana at The Old Market on 15 May. Doors open at 7pm. More details, and the full festival line-up, can be found on the official Great Escape app.
NME’s presence at The Great Escape also includes a special 20th anniversary Spotlight show on TGE Beach on 13 May, presented by NME, featuring The Kooks. The Brighton-formed band played the very first Great Escape in 2006, the same year they released their seminal debut album ‘Inside In/Inside Out’. Two decades on, they return to the festival, supported by Girl In The Year Above, for what promises to be one of the standout moments of The Great Escape 2026.
The Great Escape runs 13-16 May 2026 across over 35 walkable venues in Brighton. Festival and delegate passes are on sale now at greatescapefestival.com. Standalone tickets for the NME Presents The Kooks Spotlight show are also available at greatescapefestival.com.
ABOUT THE GREAT ESCAPE
The Great Escape is the festival for new music and the UK’s premier showcase for emerging talent from around the world. Synonymous with discovery and acting as a springboard for rising artists, the festival presents over 450 up-and-coming and hotly tipped acts across 35+ walkable venues throughout Brighton, alongside a vibrant pop-up festival site on Brighton Beach.
Celebrated for kickstarting the careers of global stars, The Great Escape offers a vital platform for musicians to reach new audiences and forge key industry connections at a crucial stage in their development.
Running during May in Brighton, England, the festival also hosts The Great Escape Conference, a leading industry gathering that welcomes more than 4,000 music professionals each year. The conference programme runs alongside the live events and features insightful panels, keynote conversations, partner sessions and networking opportunities designed to equip industry attendees with valuable knowledge, insight and connections.
ABOUT NME
Launched in London, UK, in 1952 as the New Musical Express, NME has grown into a global media powerhouse that creates and curates content, products and experiences essential to fans of music and pop culture today. NME brings together the best writers and photographers to provide a multi-platform editorial offering at the bleeding edge of what matters most across the globe — whether music, film, TV or gaming. The NME 100 is its annual list spotlighting the rising artists set to shape the future of music.
ABOUT NME NETWORKS
NME Networks is a global, next-generation media group that views the wider world of pop culture through the lens of music and connects artists and brands to music-obsessed audiences. Our portfolio of popular music-journalism brands, comprising NME, Guitar.com and MusicTech, takes audiences on a lifelong journey through musicianship and fandom. NME Networks is part of Caldecott Music Group.
ABOUT CALDECOTT MUSIC GROUP
Headquartered in Singapore, Caldecott Music Group is a global music industry operator, innovator and investor spanning multiple sectors, including digital (BandLab Technologies), media (NME Networks), and manufacturing, retail and distribution (Vista Musical Instruments). By integrating the physical, digital and social supply chain around music, CMG brings together brands and people passionate about music to deliver authentic content, products and experiences for music lovers worldwide.