The Great Escape Festival

{{Short description|Annual music festival in Brighton and Hove, England}}

{{About|the UK music festival|the Australian music festival|The Great Escape (festival)}}

{{Use British English|date=August 2020}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}

{{Infobox recurring event

|name = The Great Escape

|logo = The Great Escape 2024 Logo.png

|location = Brighton and Hove, England

|years_active = {{age|2006|range=no}} years

|last=2023

|next = 15–18 May 2024

|genre = Rock, alternative rock, indie rock, punk rock, hard rock, dance, techno, electronic, acoustic, hip hop

|website = {{URL|greatescapefestival.com}}

}}

The Great Escape Festival is a four-day music festival held in Brighton and Hove, England every year in May. It is operated by MAMA Festivals and showcases new music{{cite news |url = https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2011/may/15/the-great-escape-festival-review | date = 15 May 2011 | access-date = 13 May 2013 | first= Alexis |last= Petridis | work = The Guardian| title = The Great Escape festival – review}}{{cite news |url = https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/the-great-escape-various-venues-brighton-2284124.html | date = 15 May 2011 | access-date = 13 May 2013 | first= Simon |last= Price | work = The Independent| title = The Great Escape, Various venues, Brighton}} from a variety of genres. The festival was founded in 2006 and hosts roughly 500 bands across 30 venues throughout the city.{{cite news |url = https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/the-great-escape-various-venues-brighton-7745922.html | date = 14 May 2012 | access-date = 13 May 2013 | first= Fiona |last= Sturges | work = The Independent| title = The Great Escape, Various Venues, Brighton}} It has been likened to South by Southwest.{{cite news |url = https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/pop-festival-of-the-week-the-great-escape-various-venues-brighton-8609971.html | date = 10 May 2013 | access-date = 13 May 2013 | first= Kevin |last= Harley | work = The Independent| title = Pop festival of the week: The Great Escape, various venues, Brighton}}

There is also a music industry convention section to the event, which is attended by over 4000 delegates. The 2011 to 2022 conferences have been programmed by the team from music industry publication CMU.

File:Sat Komedia AnnaBSavage VF-4007.jpg

In addition to the main festival, there is also The Alternative Escape, a further strand of 'unofficial' shows.

There was no event in 2020, and the festival was held in 2021 but was entirely online, both due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite web |title=The Great Escape 2021: 10 unmissable artists to catch at the virtual new music showcase |url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-radar/the-great-escape-2021-lineup-sets-2938267 |first=Will |last=Richards |date=12 May 2021 |work=NME}}

File:TGE 2023 Day 1 - Coach Party (52891162736).jpg

In 2024, over half of the lineup signed an open letter to the festival to drop Barclaycard as a sponsor{{cite web |title=Dozens more artists join Great Escape 2024 boycott, as half the line-up demands festival drop Barclays sponsor in solidarity with Palestine |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/dozens-more-artists-join-great-escape-2024-boycott-as-half-the-line-up-demands-festival-drop-barclays-sponsor-in-solidarity-with-palestine-3619074 |date=17 April 2024 |work=NME}}{{cite web |title=Calls to boycott The Great Escape Festival over controversial sponsorship deal |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/calls-to-boycott-the-great-escape-festival-over-controversial-sponsorship-deal/ |first=Ben |last=Forrest |date=5 April 2024 |work=Far Out Magazine}} due to its involvement in the supply of arms to Israeli military forces.{{cite web |title=Barclays: Don’t Bank on Apartheid |url=https://palestinecampaign.org/campaigns/stop-arming-israel-3/ |work=Palestine Campaign}}{{cite web |title=‘Thousands in UK close Barclays accounts’ over bank’s ties to Israeli military suppliers |url=https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2480021/world |date=20 March 2024 |work=Arab News}} Over 163 bands pulled out of the festival in protest, resulting in the opening showcase being cancelled.{{Cite news |last=Bakare |first=Lanre |date=2024-05-14 |title=More than 100 acts quit Great Escape music festival in solidarity with Palestine |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/article/2024/may/14/more-than-120-acts-quit-great-escape-music-festival-in-solidarity-with-palestine |access-date=2024-05-15 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite news |last=Coady-Stemp |first=Emily |date=2024-05-17 |title=Acts pull out of festival over Israel-Gaza conflict |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv20gngd771o |access-date=2024-05-20 |work=BBC |language=en-GB}}