Big Is Beautiful is back with another unmissable mega-gig at The Old Market. Local promoters Fail Better are aiming even bigger this year, inviting international guests to join a bustling bill of half a dozen diverse acts.

The last Big Is Beautiful show at The Old Market (reviewed here) featured bands, DJs, standout decor, folk dancing and aerial artists – and we’re promised even more treats this time around, including “intense afro-jazz saxophone solos, unexpected choral arrangements, world-class swing music and roaming herds of dinosaurs…”

Headliners, KermesZ à l’Est, are a carnival-punk brass band from Belgium on a three-date jaunt to the UK. Blending Balkan beats with tricksy timings and a heavy party vibe, this eight-piece collective make music that’s inventive, energetic and bonkers. We caught them at Goulash last year and they were the highlight of the festival. What’s more, we’re told that the set we saw was a stripped-back version of their full live show, which bodes well since that ‘stripped-back’ version included roving drummers, homemade instruments, limbo dancing and a singing dog.

Brighton’s own Buffo’s Wake are joining in the fun, bringing their unique fusion of klezmer, Russian folk and punk cabaret. Last year the band morphed into a 22-piece orchestra for the evening, which was something of a logistical and musical triumph. For this show, they’ve swelled again, finding space for another dozen musicians, including Merlin and Polina Shepherd, alongside a huge horn section and a chamber choir. If nothing else, they should be applauded for dedication to the theme.

If that wasn’t enough, you’ve also got post-rock afro-jazz from Super Dupes, an electro-ceilidh dance class from Ceilidh Boom, dirty Django-esque jazz from The Swing Ninjas, underground dance music from DJ Bosslady and a horn-led medley of 90s pop hits from best-named band of the night Brassic Parp. What else do you want?

The Old Market, Friday 20th October 2023
Tickets available here