The Great Escape annually signals the start of U.K. festival season, as Brighton turns into a mecca for new sounds each May. Recognized as Europe’s biggest hub for new music discovery, the event welcomes everything from must-see cult acts to leftfield oddities and rising stars to the seaside – encapsulating pop, rap and folk to speed garage, alt-metal and beyond.
With a broad scope of sounds and performance styles for fans to unearth, the rich diversity of the festival speaks to an old cliche: on the line-up, there is truly something for everybody. Across The Great Escape’s 20-year history, careers have been accelerated, with dozens of artists winning over the hearts and minds of the industry contingent that descends upon Brighton for the event – as well as the thousands of ticket-holders in attendance.
In March, it was announced that Mercury Prize winners English Teacher would headline The Deep End venue as part of the Billboard U.K. Live experience on May 16. The takeover marks the inaugural Billboard U.K. Live event, and will precede the launch of the upcoming U.K. Power Players list and in-person event at SXSW London in June.
Joining them on the bill will be a whole host of sensational emerging talent, including Daffo, RabbitFoot, Courting, My First Time, Westside Cowboy and RIP Magic. Fans can gain access to the show via a TGE wristband subject to the venue’s capacity. Ticket options, plus the full festival schedule, can be viewed through TGE’s free mobile app.
As anticipation begins to crackle ahead of the 2025 edition, Billboard U.K. reflects on the world-beating artists that used The Great Escape as a stepping stone to even greater heights.
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Adele
Appeared: 2007
What happened then: While Adele was still a developing artist coming out of north London, she headed down to Brighton to bring her early material and quietly captivating show to Red Roaster cafe – including signature song “Hometown Glory.”
What happened next: Well, you already know how the story goes. Adele’s journey to mainstream recognition continued apace, signing a deal with XL Recordings for her first three albums and soon becoming one of the world’s most revered stars, scooping 16 Grammy awards along the way.
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Wolf Alice
Appeared: 2013
What happened then: With only three singles to their name, Wolf Alice’s emotive, gnarling rock songs transported a crowd of eager new music fans to the rich narrative worlds that songwriter Ellie Rowsell crafts in her lyrics. This was the start of something very, very special.
What happened next: A dizzyingly successful decade has followed, which has seen the quartet progress into a heavier sound while becoming a formidable presence at festivals across the globe. In 2018 they scooped the Mercury Prize for sophomore album Visions of a Life. Now we await new music with eager ears.
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Royal Blood
Appeared: 2014
What happened then: After these hometown heroes applied to play TGE in 2013, they were swiftly rejected. The following year, however, they returned with a bold, sublimely confident live show, inciting a total roadblock at the city’s Corn Exchange with a one-in, one-out system.
What happened next: The reaction to the duo’s self-titled from fans and industry figures was feverish: a host of major award nominations soon fell at their feet, as well as major support slots with Arctic Monkeys, Queens of the Stone Age and the Foo Fighters, among others.
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George Ezra
Appeared: 2014
What happened then: A star-cementing moment for a thoroughly successful songwriter, it was at TGE where George Ezra first previewed then-unreleased songs from his 5x Platinum debut album Wanted On Voyage, which dropped a month later in June 2014.
What happened next: Ezra cantered up to the big leagues with three consecutive U.K. No. 1 albums and a Pyramid Stage slot at Glastonbury in 2019. His mature, soulful baritone has made him one of the most recognisable voices in contemporary British pop music.
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Little Simz
Appeared: 2015
What happened then: “Really ambitious, young, fun and spacey,” is how Little Simz described her artistic vision in an interview with Vevo at TGE 2015. That year, the rapper encapsulated the festival’s spirit of intimacy and adventure, converting punters into fans with her endlessly charismatic flow.
What happened next: From here, Simz enjoyed a slow-burn rise, gradually carving out her position as an unstoppable entity in British music. Nearly a decade after she first appeared on the scene, she won the Mercury Prize for 2021’s illustrious Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, and later in 2025 she’ll release her sixth album Lotus and headline The O2 Arena.
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Stormzy
Appeared: 2016
What happened then: In the mid 2010s, grime was enjoying an overdue commercial and critical breakthrough in the U.K., in part thanks to Stormzy’s viral Wicked Skengman freestyles. At TGE, the south London rapper capped off a year of hype with a rousing set, his biggest British show to date at the time.
What happened next: Stormzy released his debut LP Gang Signs & Prayer the following year, which topped the Official U.K. Albums Chart and led to him topping the bill at Glastonbury in 2019 in a historic move – the first Black British solo act to headline the festival.
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Idles
Appeared: 2018
What happened then: Idles’ early signs of greatness were well and truly realised on the Brighton shores. They delivered their messages of inclusivity to the masses, channeling their shared pain into pulsating post-punk anthems, and breaking new ground at each set.
What happened next: Huge shows became a formality, including arenas on both sides of the Atlantic. Across five albums, they have racked up nominations for BRIT, Grammy and Ivor Novello awards, becoming one of the defining British bands of the past decade.
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Lewis Capaldi
Appeared: 2018
What happened then: The Scottish songwriter was first beamed into public consciousness via becoming a prominent figure on the open mic circuit. With his distinct, booming voice and droll stage chat, early festival appearances, such as TGE, sealed Capaldi as one of the country’s most thrilling new talents.
What happened next: Scarcely a year later, this young gun had the biggest song in the world. Released when he was 22, “Someone You Loved” spent seven consecutive weeks atop the chart and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, before becoming the U.K.’s most streamed song of all time.
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Fontaines D.C.
Appeared: 2018
What happened then: Steely and determined, the five-piece were still a fledgling group in spring 2018 – but one that had bucketloads of potential. They showcased that fiercely with a slew of shows at TGE that year, bringing their youthful intensity to the seaside.
What happened: In the years since, Fontaines D.C. have evolved their sound on every album and grown into arena headliners, while also paving the way for a new generation of guitar bands to storm the gates. Their four studio albums have all hit the top 10 in the U.K.
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Sam Fender
Appeared: 2018
What happened then: Fender’s star was already burning bright by TGE 2018. A set at the 200-capacity Brighton Patterns saw him test early material alongside close friend and collaborator Declan McKenna, including the reflective “Greasy Spoon.”
What happened next: A mercurial talent was born. The North Shields artist went on to build an adoring following, offering knottier, deeper, richer alternatives to some of the country’s more palatable indie-rock trends, including a generational album in 2021’s Seventeen Going Under.
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