The Great Escape, the festival for new music, has today announced the first raft of exciting acts and break-out artists lined up for the festival’s debut digital edition, set to take place from 13-14 May via The Great Escape website. The Great Escape Online will feature an exceptional selection of the world’s most hotly-tipped artists, bringing Brighton’s summer sunshine and a true festival feel to the comfort of your home, alongside the festival’s famed conference. Music fans will be able to register for free and immerse themselves in a wealth of new music while those looking to learn about the latest trends and hear from music’s biggest players can buy tickets for the conference and networking sessions HERE.
The first wave of over 60 groundbreaking artists announced for The Great Escape Online’s cutting-edge line up includes punk powerhouse Chubby and the Gang, technicolour pop visionary Pyra, rising rap star Goya Gumbani, Spanish alt-rockers Belako, the seismic dance beats of Nabihah Iqbal, plus many more. The online edition of the festival will feature dozens of specially curated showcases by key industry partners including CD Baby, MCD, Paradigm, Primary Talent, UTA and WME as well as country-specific specials from all across Europe and the world, with artists representing France, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden plus many more.
Capturing the true variety and excitement of the festival, music fans will be able to register online for free HERE and tune into one of seven simultaneous channels across the two days, running from 6pm until 8pm each evening.
In addition to the extensive line up of up-and-coming talent, The Great Escape Conference has today announced the industry leaders and disruptors delivering eye-opening presentations. Taking to the virtual stage this year are Merck Mercuriadis, founder and CEO of Hipgnosis Songs Fund, Women In CTRL founder and AIM chair Nadia Khan and Wendy Ong, president of management agency TaP Music, who represent the likes of Dua Lipa and Lana Del Ray.
Hosted separately via Swapcard, the conference will run sessions from 10am until 6pm alongside networking opportunities for attendees. Ticket holders for the original physical event will receive a special loyalty discount for the full The Great Escape Online experience while tickets to join the conference and networking elements of The Great Escape Online are available to buy online.
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As well as the talks and discussions, the core CMU+TGE programme will focus on the burning issues affecting the music biz today, spread across three distinct tracks: Future Music Talent, focussing on how to support early-career music-makers, Future Music Strategies, detailing the latest trends in streaming and live music, and Future Music World, celebrating initiatives that are making music more diverse and more sustainable. There will also be a series of beginner’s guide webinars from the Arts Council-supported TGE Elevate programme.
THE GREAT ESCAPE ONLINE 2021 – FIRST-WAVE LINE-UP
FOLK / AMERICANA
BESS ATWELL | BILLIE MARTEN | CHLOE FOY | EVE OWEN | JODIE MARIE | REB FOUNTAIN | RONA MAC
Fans will be able to indulge in a wealth of beautiful songwriting during The Great Escape Online, from the potent delicacies of Bess Atwell and Billie Marten’s evocative sensibilities to the raw drama of Chloe Roy and Reb Fountain’s bluesy overtones.
GRIME / RAP / HIP-HOP
GOYA GUMBANI | K(E)NZ | MACE THE GREAT | MASS ACORD | NEONE THE WONDERER | TEBI REX
Music lovers should prepare for a true masterclass in flow with performances from the ice-cool South London rapper Goya Gumbani and the jazz inflected beats of NeONE the Wonderer. Meanwhile, the sure-fire bars of Mace the Great and Mass Acord will certainly crank the heat.
POP / DANCE
CHAILD | CHANKA | DULCE Y AGRAZ | DUSKY GREY | ELIZA LEGZDINA | ENNIO THE LITTLE BROTHER | FOEX & PAULOPULUS | JOAN THIELE | LAU.RA | LEILA MCKENZIE | LUCIFOUR M | MALAN | PODER FANTASMA | PYRA | PVA
To make sure everybody is dancing, the next generation of pop superstars will really set the mood for your bedroom disco. Technicolour visionary Pyra is joined by enthralling Chilean melody maker Dulce y Agraz, the bass-laden beats of Eliza Legzdina and synth stars PVA. Meanwhile, dancefloor destroyers Nabihah Iqbal and Lau.ra come ready with an arsenal of breaks to get the party started.
ALT / INDIE
BARTLEBY DELICA | BELAKO | BLEACH LAB | CJ PANDIT | DIALECT | DILETTANTE | ENGLISH TEACHER | FRANCIS OF DELIRIUM | GDJYB 雞蛋蒸肉餅 | GOAN DOGS | GREEN GARDEN | HANYA | HELLO FOREVER | IVY FLINDT | JUNODREAM | KIDDUS | KINKAI | LEAK | MERK | OLIVIA IS A GHOST | OTZEKI | PENELOPE TRAPPES | PURPLE PILGRIMS |RALPH TV| SHAKIRA ALLEYNE | SPARKLING | ST WOODS | THALLO | WAX WORKS
Boundless, sweeping sounds arrive in the form of electronic provocateurs Otzeki as the twisting, unpredictable tunes of Belako will keep your senses honed, testing the fundamentals of post-punk. Meanwhile, SPARKLING’s interflowing, trilingual sounds will sweep you off your feet with an assertive punch while St Wood’s dreamy atmospheres will serenade you with delicate and emotional melodies.
PUNK / ROCK / METAL
CHUBBY AND THE GANG | GENN | HOLDING ABSENCE | MAGICK MOUNTAIN | NEW CANDYS | QLOWSKI | TV PRIEST | YARD ACT
The Great Escape Online will bring high-octane action to your living room with a slew of blistering bands to get your pulse racing. Chubby & The Gang will showcase their fanatical furore alongside the powerful post-rock anthems of Holding Absence. The sardonic sounds of Leeds-based Yard Act will also be on show as well as rock’n’rollers New Candys and eclectic charmers GENN.
JAZZ / R&B / SOUL
GEESE | IMAN HOUSSEIN | TITO RAMIREZ
Genre-hopping group Geese, spanning New Orleans-inspired jazz to gypsy swing, join the bill alongside Mamba master Tito Ramierz and the delicate yet groove-filled soundscapes of 2020 Future Bubbler Iman Houssein.
