Top 15 Acts to See at The Great Escape 2026
- 9 hours ago
- 6 min read
Words by Miles Milton-Jefferies
The Great Escape festival has always been a way to discover the best new talent in the music scene. Featuring Sam Fender, Lorde and Wolf Alice playing in small pub bars before they got big, its reputation as the king of tastemaker festivals is well-earned. A multi-venue spectacle will see some of the best acts of tomorrow descend on Brighton – and you’d be wrong to be anywhere else in the scene. Here our Hideous Magazines top 15 picks for this years festival, courtesy of Miles Milton-Jefferies...
Angine de Poitrine (Canada)
Angine de Poitrine made waves with their recent video on KEXP where they appear all in costume, under the guise of voyagers from across space and time – Klek and Khn de Poitrine, who are here to gaze in wonder at hot dogs, pyramids, but more importantly: rock music in all its forms. They answer the question: what would happen if aliens got deep into the DIY music scene? The answer – something like this – one of the most electrifying talents from Quebec are not to be missed; although good luck getting into the venue to see them! Their Scala show sold out in mere SECONDS and was instantly upgraded to Camden’s Electric Ballroom. That’s some going.
Bathing Suits (England)
The Electro-Noise band Bathing Suits come swinging in from Leeds and present themselves as blasting beats with abrasive guitars for a dancey, loud environment that never fails to bring the house down. They supported Prostitute at an instantly iconic Windmill set that featured a real melting pot of talent in one place: these guys are going far.
Big Long Sun (England)
The whimsical midlands-born Brighton-raised band have released two albums and an EP in a little over twelve months and remain an act to watch for their ability to get eight people in a room long enough to play music alone. They label themselves as a collection of human/animals that make noises together – bonded by their love and love of one thing only: “Speed” – throwing down tracks in the heat of the moment outside influence and efficiency in favour of breaking away from creative norms.
Bonnie Trash (Canada)
Bonnie Trash are a fusion of twin siblings’ unmatched approach to post-punk austerity, led by Emmalia and Sarafina Bortolon-Vettor. Their inspirations, among their number, Joy Division and John Carpenter, let you know what you’re in for – as they capture a real sense of haunted beauty in the everyday. It feels hard-driven, raw and relentless – never letting up. Download next year, anyone? They already have a Great Escape warm-up at The Black Heart on the Wednesday in London.
Brooki (Ireland)
So much more than the Irish version of The Last Dinner Party, Brooki are a talent to be recognised that have been slowly bubbling up under the radar in 2025. The four piece alt rock band are making waves in the Irish scene and with their intimately cinematic approach to music you’d be hard pressed to turn them down. Their raw energy matches the likes of Jeff Buckley and early PJ Harvey, so that should make any music-head heading down to The Great Escape to sit up and take notice.
Cowboy Hunters (Scotland)
The Scottish Cowboy-hating band I saw at Duck and Dive Festival in Haggerston and they blew my mind. It’s been 69 years since the Cowboys attacked… and would you rather be anywhere else? After all – the world is ending, and they’re throwing a party. It would be rude to turn them down!
Madra Salach (Republic of Ireland)
Bursting out of Ireland’s indie scene the traditional Irish folk band have already seen a rise comparable to modern Mary Wallopers! Their pub sessions have given them the confidence and the loyal following to explode on the European stage, with experimental folk infused with electronic elements to create a fix of what has come before and what will come next. They’re ready for the big leagues and The Great Escape is the perfect chance to catch them in an intimate setting – maybe your last one; as they’re supporting Kneecap, The Mary Wallopers and Gurriers in the summer.
Morn (Wales)
If this was 10 years ago and FIFA was in its prime, Morn would already big (their single Modern Man appears on the FIFA ’26 soundtrack, released last year). They should already be big, tipped by friends who went as the best band to watch out of last year’s Green Man festival and have regularly delivered barnstorming Brixton Windmill sets. They are magnetic, catchy, lively and full of good-natured fun – backed by tastemaker label Speedy Wunderground and given a sense of fun. It’s unhinged, raw and chaotic – carving out a space that feels entirely their own.
Piss (Canada)
Another Canadian rock outfit one the decidedly more traumatic hardcore side, Piss reduced multiple friends who I have seen them with to near tears at festivals like Future Days and Left of the Dial and open with a trigger warning that let you know what you’re in for from the off. The sheer intensity of Taylor Zantingh’s vocals is a force to be reckoned with, and their cathartic rage will have you go through an exhilarating display of emotions that emphasise the importance of caring for yourself.
Psychonaut (Belgium)
The three-piece post-metal collective blend The Great Escape festival with Arctangent and Rock Werchter that has sent seismic shockwaves through both the post-metal and prog scenes with gusto. They’ve already established a festival back catalogue under their belt that would be the envy of bigger names: Alcatraz, Rock Herk and Boomtown – also touring with the likes of Amenra and Brutus. They explore the boundaries between darkness and light through cascading walls of sound and fuse metal and dance/electronic together for a real rollercoaster of emotions.
Sexytadhg (Republic of Ireland)
2025 was a breakout year for Irish bilingual songwriter and multi-instrumentalist fashion designer Sexytadhg, who has supported The Mary Wallopers on multiple of their London dates as well as selling out their own shows. The cabaret-infused energy of the set and genre-defying music means that to see a Sexytadhg show is like a refusal to be put in a box – this fusion of grand pop drama of the likes of Chappell Roan and CMAT with Irish folk joy makes for a perfect mismash of talent ready for explosion.
Silverwingkiller (England)
Right out from the beating heart of Manchester’s Underground, SILVERWINGKILLER are an electronic two-piece that have the confidence of bands ten years deep into their number. With split English/Chinese vocals and a tour that has already seen them support the likes of Fat Dog and Machine Girl, they move with a punk ferocity that sees them blend between the post-punk and electronic scenes at will with an intense rhythm that seems tailor made for 3AM at Boomtown.
Teenage Joans (Australia)
The pop-punk/indie band of the moment have already toured in Australia with the likes of the Foo Fighters and Sum 41 and that’s no small feat since they formed in 2018. They capture the essence of ‘000s pop-punk and their single Sweet and Slow is so infectious you can’t help but groove to it.
Truthpaste (England)
The five multi-instrumentalists that lead Truthpaste come from the same school of thought as Man/Woman/Chainsaw, a ramshackle yet immaculately choreographed DIY outfit who are as likely to cover Kelis’ Milkshake as they are to perform See You Around. They wear their weirdness on their sleeve when most artists would do anything to try and fit in with the crowd with pride and you can tell their chemistry as friends from the moment they set foot on stage, dating back to their days as a group from Manchester University.
Yakkie (England)
YAKKIE are a punk band that have built a platform on being fiercely anti-Spotify and have allowed themselves to establish a quick reputation as a supergroup unafraid to kick the door down and light the place on fire. Janey Starling (Dream Nails founder) fronts this band with Robin Gatt from Petrol Girls, Laura Ankles from Colour Me Wednesday and Maeve Westall from Jasmine 4.t. on guitair, bass and drums respectively – and the collective use their experience as feminist activists to deliver a supercharged political record leading with Kill The Cop Inside Your Head that lets you know this band is just as likely to punch you in the face as it is to kiss you on the cheek after.
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