Joining an already rammed line-up, The Great Escape have announced a new Billboard UK stage, which will be headlined by none other than Mercury Prize winners English Teacher. When we caught them at Mutations Festival in 2023 we said, “This is a clever band that will go places”, and they certainly have. Debut album ‘This Could Be Texas’ has taken the Leeds band all over the world playing to ever expanding crowds.

There’s also a slew of Team Source favourites in the latest list that is seeing us skip about with glee as we do the housework. This notably includes the indie dance banger merchants Adult DVD, the wonky synth party that is Baby’s Berserk, the skiffly punky pop of Holiday Ghosts, the fun cowbell-fuelled frolics of Home Counties, Mike Lindsay who has already given the world the beauty of both Tunng and Lump, the electro punk of Polite Beureaux, the goth punk of Preoccupations, the Welsh heirs to the sound of the C90 mix tape The Bug Club, and the shoegaze alt-pop of She’s in Parties.

On the Brighton front, nothing will stop the foot-stomping march of the gang that is Welly becoming our next breakout act, but the Talking Headsy art pop of Big Long Sun, the fuzzy riffs of Bones Ate Arfa, the catchy hooks of CURRLS, the charismatic performance of Ideal Living are all ready to step up to the challenge.

Day passes, two-day and weekend tickets are now all available, so there really is no excuse to miss out on the best weekend to be living in Brighton.

The Great Escape Festival
Every venue in Brighton! – 14th to 17th may
Tickets available here

Photo: Firefly Studios (Mutations 2023)