The Great Escape, the festival for new music, has unveiled a fresh wave of 175+ new and rising artists joining this year’s line-up, bringing emerging talent from across the globe to Brighton for the festival’s 2025 edition. British rock icons Skunk Anansie are also confirmed to perform at the 2025 festival – presented by The Independent – as part of their upcoming UK headline tour and a week before the release of their highly anticipated new album The Painful Truth on May 23rd. This year’s daily highlights have also been revealed, spotlighting the artists set to make a major impact across the new and extended four-day festival.
The latest wave of artists features some of the most exciting and hotly tipped emerging talent from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, France, Japan, Ireland, the USA and beyond – further cementing the festival’s commitment to championing global grassroots music. Today’s announcement takes the 2025 line-up to over 450 acts.
Renowned for championing cutting-edge sounds from across the underground and global club scenes, The Great Escape 2025’s newly announced late-night programme brings a sharp selection of genre-defying artists to Brighton’s after-hours stages. Today’s new names include Brighton’s own Badger, who will set the pace with bass-heavy garage cuts, London jazztronica duo Blue Lab Beats, high-octane house, disco and pop fusion Sim0ne, shape-shifting duo Goddess and German electronic act Mechatok (Live).
Punk and alternative fans can expect high impact performances from Brighton’s feminist electro-punk trio CLT DRP, Liverpool indie disruptors Courting, and Manchester’s Maruja, whose intense live shows fuse jazz, post-punk and noise. Also announced today are Melbourne’s Divide and Dissolve, who bring weight and purpose with their instrumental doom metal, raw and restless guitar act The Molotovs, noise-rock band The None, razor-sharp punk pair SLAG and DIY punk four-piece Bruise Control.
Festivalgoers looking for more soulful sounds can look forward to sets from Brixton-based soul singer Nia Smith, guitarist and vocalist Zinadelphia and Geordie jazz quintet Knats, while indie offerings will come from dreamy indie-pop act Carol Ades and Atlanta-based musician Girlpuppy.
With The Great Escape long renowned for championing experimental sounds, today’s new names also include trailblazing psychedelic collective Mandrake Handshake, buzzy ‘90s inspired electronic and indie-rock fusion RIP Magic and shape-shifting Cambridge six-piece Ugly.
Additionally, the festival has also announced a special performance from Skunk Anansie at this year’s festival. Formed in London in 1994, Skunk Anansie instantly caught attention with their blend of alternative, rock and punk, coupled with a unique dub sensibility which showcased their multi-cultural background. Their outspoken lyrics detailing their experiences in modern Britain, alongside the band’s unapologetic ledgendary live performances led Skunk Anansie to become one of the most talked about and important bands of their generation. They will headline The Independent Stage at this year’s festival on 16 May 2025. The show will be fans’ only chance to see the band in an intimate club setting, following on from the band's current sold out UK tour. Access to the show will be via a festival wristband, subject to the venue’s capacity. Day tickets, Friday and Saturday tickets, and 4 day festival tickets are on sale now.
The Great Escape also recently announced the first wave of artists for The Late Escape – its official after-hours programme spotlighting cutting-edge electronic and club talent. Running from 11:30pm to 4am across key Brighton venues, the line-up includes euphoric sets from Sim0ne, Mechatok, Meyy, Badger, IRAH, Mina Galán, Pretty Girl (DJ) and SWIM, with special guests still to be announced. Stand-alone tickets are on sale now, with TGE wristband holders granted access subject to capacity.
Synonymous with new music discovery and acting as a springboard for rising artists, The Great Escape is the festival for new music. Playing host to over 450 up-and-coming artists and hotly tipped talent across 35+ walkable venues, alongside the music industry-led TGE conference, the festival will kick off the 2025 season from 14 – 17 May in Brighton, England. Tickets for The Great Escape festival start from £81.24 and are on sale here.
