The Great Escape Festival, Brighton

This May, thousands of musos will flock to blustery Brighton for The Great Escape. Kicking off the festival season, this mega-fest will host over 400 acts and with only a quarter of the line up announced so far, excitement is building around this annual celebration of rising stars. The Great Escape takes place over three days (8-10 May) at various venues across Brighton and we love this spread out set-up: crowds swaying in the streets from gig to gig, frolicking in the chippy seaside air… (plus we get to book a boutique hotel without camper’s guilt).

Since launching in 2006, The Great Escape has made its name as the leading festival to discover new music. Hosted by promoters Mama & Co - who have a monopoly over London’s best venues (The Forum, Hoxton Sq Bar and Kitchen, The Garage, The Jazz Café, you get the picture...) it’s unsurprising that this year’s selection doesn’t disappoint; from the eclectic urban-electro beats of Jungle to the haunting melodies of Marika Hackman energetic post-punk indie beats from Pulled Apart By Horses and dreamy synth-pop riffs by Woman’s Hour.

You can get your mosh on for Royal Blood, who are likely to play a ram-packed gig as their primal, rock’n’roll riffs always pull in the crowds. These rock heavies have been backed by Arctic Monkeys and will be joining them at their upcoming Finsbury Park gig later in May.

For something equally stadium-sized, but a whole lot sweeter, try hotly-tipped new Nottingham band Amber Run, whose anthemic tracks have fast-tracked them to success. If Royal Blood descend from Queens of the Stone Age, then Amber Run are indebted to Snow Patrol – clean-cut indie lads, blinking at their meteoric rise to recognition. 

Look out for singer-songwriter Benjamin Clementine, a soulful newcomer whose thoughtful lyrics and piano melodies have just the right tinge of tragedy. His model-looks and towering height ensure you won’t have to look too hard.

Adding to the festivities is The Alternative Escape, which includes the festival’s Brighton Dome shows, secret gigs and club nights, transforming it from a two-day event into a multi-platform musical reconnaissance. Headlining the cavernous Brighton Dome this year will be milkshake-bringing Kelis, supported by Ella Eyre, who will be filling the venue with her techni-coloured R&B and hip-hop beats. 

The Great Escape has a good track record, having played host to acts such as Bastille, The 1975 and Friendly Fires before they 'got big', so this year's festival is sure to catapult many of its artists further onto the music scene. If you crave the music but not the camping, The Great Escape festival is the one for you.