Ten acts to catch at The Great Escape festival 2023
Inhabiting the very best venues Brighton has to offer, The Great Escape festival reappears on the East Sussex shoreline each year to kickstart summer and celebrate the most exciting emerging talent from the UK and beyond.
With such a varied range of acts booked in for the latest edition, deciding who to see might seem like a difficult task. Luckily, we’ve picked out 10 acts on our radar who are some of the weekend’s must-sees…
Arlo Parks
Twice Grammy-nominated, Mercury Prize and BRIT Award-winning artist Arlo Parks recently announced her sophomore album 'My Soft Machine', the follow up to her highly-praised debut album 'Collapsed in Sunbeams'. Park's showcase performance at the Brighton Dome will take place just two weeks before the album launch - it's one you won't want to miss.
Charlotte Plank
Charlotte Plank only launched with her debut song 'Hate Me' late last year and has since become one of the most hotly-tipped new artists in the Gen-Z rave revival proliferating across the country. Taking to the Patterns stage at 2am on Thursday, this show is poised to set the good vibes for the rest of the weekend.
David GotSound
London-hailing rapper David GotSound was in fine form last year, maintaining a steady drip of singles and projects including his ‘Greatness Isn’t Given’ mixtape, ‘No Handouts’, ‘Repeat’ and the drill-leaning namesbliss remix of ‘Excellence’. Now taking this momentum into summer 2023, his lunchtime Great Escape show at Zahara will double-down on that Friday feeling.
Deb Never
LA-via-Pacific Northwest vocalist Deb Never already has a hardcore following in the UK which will quickly become apparent on opening day at the Amazon Stage. She might be one of the most influential artists on the planet right now so it goes without saying that you'll be wanting to catch this slot.
ENNY
Rapper, singer and songwriter ENNY is quickly becoming one of London's best-loved musical exports. If summer had a sound, it would probably be along the lines of this exciting talent's output. So after Deb Never, get yourself down to ENNY's show at Patterns.
KiLLOWEN
Cutting his teeth in the world of SoundCloud rap before expanding his vision to encompass his unique fusions of UK garage, hip hop, dance and soul, West Londoner KiLLOWEN is finally getting the recognition he deserves. You might have heard his viral UK garage track 'Sober' on TikTok over the last few months. Now imagine what it'll sound like live.
Jericho Noguera
Cheltenham-raised artist Jericho Noguera blends future soul, alternative R&B and indie into something magical. His rising artist status is what The Great Escape is all about and Nogueura is sure to put on a performance to remember.
K-Trap
Drill rapper K-Trap has steadily manoeuvred himself to the forefront of the UK rap scene over the last few years, culminating with his 2022 album 'The Last Whip II' which catapulted him to new levels. Taking his icy road rap sounds to the beaches of Brighton, it's your chance to catch a superstar in the flesh.
Mac Wetha
Aside from being a founding member of London hip-hop collective NiNE8, redefining the sound of the city alongside the likes of Lava La Rue, Biig Piig, and Nayana IZ, multi-hyphenate artist Mac Wetha is one of the most in-demand and talented producers about right now. Since starting a new solo path over the last year, the 24-year-old is relishing the spotlight.
yunè pinku
Despite still being at such an early stage in her music career, yunè pinku’s exciting club-ready sound has already been tipped by Joy Orbison and more. She's quickly become one of the standout forces in the UK rave renaissance and will certainly bring the party to Paganini on Friday night.
Be sure to check out The Great Escape website to find out more about the artists, stages, labels and brands being showcased at this year’s festival, as well as the schedule for the 2023 conference, which will explore the ins and outs of the music industry across a number of talks and events.
The Great Escape has launched a mobile app to help festival and conference goers navigate the mammoth line-up and build their own personal schedule.
Tickets for The Great Escape festival are available now and are on sale here.
