The Great Escape has announced their first artists performing at the festival next year. The event takes place from the 12th -15th May, in Brighton’s city centre.
2021 sees The Great Escape hosting their belated 15-year anniversary celebrations, as a result of 2020’s event not taking place. The festival is renowned for hosting musicians of all genres, and secret performances being announced on the weekend of the festival. It takes place across 30+ venues in Brighton’s city centre, all within walkable distance. This year’s lineup will feature more than 400 artists, including their highly anticipated Spotlight shows.
In 2019, they hosted the likes of AJ Tracey, Indoor Pets, Zuzu, Sports Team, and Maisie Peters. Despite being a relatively new event, artists from around the world travel to Brighton to perform at the festival.
This year, The Great Escape has announced that Grassroots Suicide Prevention is their lead charity partner for TGE21, for a second year running. The charity is based in Brighton and operates across the United Kingdom as a leading suicide prevention and education organisation.
FOLK / AMERICANA
ANOTHER MICHAEL | LIZZIE REID | SKULLCRUSHER
Folk and singer songwriter fans will be treated to a host of new talent, including Scottish nu-folk sensation Lizzie Reid, Another Michael’s unique musical presence, as well as dreamy and atmospheric alt-folk by L.A-based artist Skullcrusher.
GRIME / RAP / HIP-HOP
BREE RUNWAY | CHE LINGO | DENISE CHAILA | JUICE MENACE | NIKO B | PA SALIEU | TIAGZ
Following the release of her critically acclaimed debut mixtape this month, The Great Escape is excited to reveal that Hackney rapper and songwriter Bree Runway will be bringing her bold genre-hopping debut to the festival in 2021. Joining the line-up will be Gambian by-way-of Coventry’s Pa Salieu, the genre-blurring rapper tipped by tastemakers as one of the UK’s most pioneering new talent, Cardiff-based rap prodigy Juice Menace, as well as Che Lingo, one of the most unique and exciting lyricists in the UK.
R&B / SOUL
ARLO PARKS | AMA | BERWYN | OLIVIA DEAN | PIP MILLETT | R.A.E
The Great Escape is ecstatic to bring the soulful and poetic shady vocals of London-based artist, poet and songwriter Arlo Parks to the Brighton seaside, alongside alternative R&B singer AMA, the unique blend of hip hop, R&B and nostalgic 90s sounds of singer, songwriter and rapper R.A.E, as well as BERWYN, who broke onto the scene in 2020 with his magnetic, honest and vulnerable debut mixtape and a show-stopping Jools Holland performance of his first track Glory.
POP / DANCE
220 KID | AARON SMITH | ALEX AMOR | BABY QUEEN | COLE LC | CMAT | GABE COULTER | LUCY BLUE | LUZ | MAE MULLER | MICHELLE | POUTYFACE | REMI WOLF | TAYO SOUND | THOMAS HEADON
Full of ecstatic fizz and electronic buzz, the exciting, eclectic world of Remi Wolf is coming to Brighton for 2021. Also heading across the Atlantic, six-piece collective MICHELLE will showcase their sleek grooves and bouncy beat-making. Meanwhile, Thomas Headon will be swapping the beaches of Australia for the south coast seaside, bringing his synth-heavy brand of bedroom pop along for the ride. Other acts on the bill include the potent emotion of Aaron Smith andanthemicpop princess Baby Queen.
ALT / INDIE
BLU DETIGER | GEESE | HOLLY HUMBERSTONE | JOEY MAXWELL | KENNYHOOPLA | THE MAGIC GANG | MATILDA MANN | MOLCHAT DOMA | NEWDAD | OSCAR LANG | PEACH TREE RASCALS | PORIJ | VOODOOS | WALT DISCO
Alternative and indie music fans are in for a spectacular array of artists for 2021. Perhaps no artist has garnered as much attention this year as Holly Humberstone with her intimate, drivingdebut, Falling Asleep at the Wheel, becoming an instant fan favourite. Brighton’s very own The Magic Gang will grace the festival with their infectious rhythms, while New York native Blu DeTiger will perform her icy cool earworms, laden with upbeat optimism and classic indie charm. Oscar Lang’s dream-like soundscape will captivate fans new and old while the club-ready beats of KennyHoopla will have everybody ready to sad-dance.
PUNK / ROCK / METAL
BOB VYLAN | CHUBBY AND THE GANG | ĠENN
Fresh from their blistering 2020 debut Speed Kills, no amp will be safe from thunderous furore of Chubby and the Gang. Brighton-based ĠENN will be serving alternative post-punk madness with a fun twist, while the raw energy and fierce political fire of hardcore London-duo Bob Vylan will shake the very foundations of The Great Escape 2021.
JAZZ
No stranger to The Great Escape, Emma-Jean Thackray will bring her groove-heavy sound to the seaside. A prolific musician, remixer, DJ and band leader, Thackray is one of true stand-out stars of the UK’s thriving jazz scene.
OTHER
Bradford’s very own Bad Boy Chiller Crew will bring the party to Brighton with their banging bassline-inspired anthems and tongue-in-cheek lyrical flair which has made them infamous up and down the country.
