After 15 years of shaping Sicily’s electronic music scene, UNLOCKED enters its next chapter with an expanded summer programme. Since its inception, the promoter has paired underground music with the island’s most distinctive locations, from ancient archaeological sites to coastal settings. The 15th season builds on that vision, bringing events to six breathtaking locations across Sicily.
Reflecting on the milestone, the UNLOCKED founders say: “We’ve spent 15 years building this community, sharing emotions through music in extraordinary places, opening this land to the world. Now we evolve. Not just to grow, but to honour what we’ve built and take it further than ever before.”
The 15th anniversary events take place across Sicily’s most storied locations, from the ancient ruins of Segesta and the hilltop city of Palermo – including the historic Palazzina Cinese – to the coastal town of Castellammare del Golfo, the Baroque streets of Modica, and the historic centres of Castelvetrano and Alcamo. The programme spans festival-scale and intimate events, bringing world-class electronic music into spaces of rare cultural and architectural significance.
The UNLOCKED season includes five events across five locations, with a combined capacity of30,000 and introduces three distinct event formats that will shape how the season unfolds. Aura is the flagship format with large-scale, immersive events rooted in culturally significant spaces. Solo presents single-artist performances in intimate historic settings, offering a more focused encounter between artist and audience. Meanwhile, Unlocked Music Festival continues as the brand’s established multi-day format, with broader lineups and wider audiences.
Full event announcements, lineups and ticketing information will follow. UNLOCKED 15TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON ACROSS THESE LOCATIONS Segesta Archaeological Park // Porto Nuovo, Castellammare del Golfo // Castelló dei Conti di Modica // Sistema Delle Piazze // Gibellina // Alcamo // Trapani // Palermo
Sam Divine has confirmed the full lineups for her upcoming Ibiza residency with the 555 concept coming to Cova Santa for four dates this summer.
The residency will run on 13 June, 22 August, 16 September and 23 September, marking her first headline residency on the island as well as the Ibiza debut of her 555 label and event series.
The programme features a range of artists from across house, tech house and garage. Confirmed names include Paul Woolford, Dusky, Arielle Free, Cassimm, Melé and Nick Curly, alongside additional artists including Cash Only, DJ Beth, Easttown, Holly Hutch, Ilyus Barrientos, James Poole, Joëlla Jackson, Lauren Lo Sung, Makez, Marco Lys, Mark Knight, Molly D, Murphy’s Law, Nesi, Piem, Reelow, Ruze and Smokey Bubblin’ B.
Launched in 2026, 555 focuses on a stripped-back club format built around extended DJ sets and curated lineups that combine established and emerging artists.
At Cova Santa, the concept will be presented across both indoor and outdoor spaces to keep its core format while adapting to a larger-scale setting.
SAM DIVINE PRESENTS 555
A↔Z
ARIELLE FREE • CASSIMM
CASH ONLY • BETH • DUSKY
EASTTOWN • HOLLY HUTCH
ILLYUS BARRIENTOS • JAMES POOLE
JOËLLA JACKSON • LAUREN LO SUNG
MAKEZ • MARCO LYS
MARK KNIGHT • MELÉ • MOLLY D
MURPHY’S LAW • NESI • NICK CURLY
PAUL WOOLFORD • PIEM • REELOW
RUZE • SMOKEY BUBBLIN’ B
555 IBIZA
At Cova Santa, San Jose
13.06, 22.08, 16.09, 23.09
19:00-04:00
Ctra. San José, km 7 (desvío Sa Caleta), 07817 Ibiza icono
Techno mainstay Popof and Italian Giorgia Angiuli combine for epic new single Echoes in Motion on the mighty Filth on Acid.
Giorgia is a classically trained musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist who moves between pop, techno and house. She uses her voice to create a dreamy dimension intensified by the use of unique toy instruments and plays all over the world, while Popof is regular chart topper, in demand remixer and driving electronic force who has released on some of the best labels in the scene.
Echoes in Motion rides on slamming drums with synths that suggest constant take off, hard edge bass and distorted textures. The vocals bring extra tension and emotion while the epic breakdown builds to another explosive drop that is destined for big things this summer.
This is another sure fire weapon from this dynamic duo.
AMØK Mallorca has confirmed a series of major festival collaborations for summer 2026 that expand its programme with world renowned brands, DJs and large-scale takeovers.
Following a strong start to the season including a sold-out Jackie’s showcase with Claptone in April, the award-winning venue is continuing its run of partnerships with some of electronic music’s most established event concepts. These collaborations build on the club’s previously announced spring programme and continue to mark it out as the leading venue in Mallorca and an essential alternative to Ibiza.
May sees the legendary D&B Allstars arrive on the 3rd, bringing its high-energy drum & bass sound to the island, before Drumcode takes over from May 8th to 10th. The multi-day showcase features a heavyweight techno lineup including Adam Beyer, Joris Voorn, Eli Brown, Pan-Pot b2b Alan Fitzpatrick, Kasia and more.
The festival offerings continue into June with trance icon Paul van Dyk bringing his MADE FOR MORE concept to the venue on June 25th, followed by Frequency Festival across June 27th and 28th. That event features names such as taste making tech house favourites and disrupters, Jamie Jones, Prospa and Max & Luke Dean.
These collaborations reflect AMØK’s ongoing strategy to position itself as a key hub for international electronic music brands on the island. As well as this, AMØK will host Shimza for a 3-date residency on Thursdays from late July, bringing his signature “Afro-tech” sound to the club.
Since opening, the venue has combined high-spec production with a dual indoor-outdoor setup that has placed it firmly on the map for both top tier artists and serious electronic music lovers from the wider European club circuit.
AMØK’s 2026 season is set to be its best yet with this unrivalled mix of festival-level experiences in an immersive club environment.
Festival Showcases:
May 3rd D&B All Stars
May 8,9,10th Drumcode featuring: Eli Brown, Joel Mull, Mark Reeve, Pan Pot B2B Alan Fitzpatrick, Wehbba, Charles D, Joris Voorn, Tini Gessler, Adam Beyer B2B Bart Skils, Genesi and Kasia.
June 25th Paul Van Dyk’s MADE FOR MORE Festival
27th & 28th of June Frequency Festival featuring Jamie Jones, Max & Luke Dean, Prospa and more
Turning up to tiptoe through the Tulips in the middle of a torrential downpour wasn’t exactly on the wishlist this weekend but as luck would have it – the wind and rain dies down just as we pull into Hatton Country World in Warwickshire.
The carpark is thoughtfully carpeted with full scale event flooring, meaning no matter how much water comes, we’ll still be able to get the cars out when we leave. Checking in is an absolute breeze as well, with scannable QR code tickets on our phones and a really cute tulip hand-stamp if you want to leave at any point.
Heading out into an absolutely adorable little courtyard area, we are immediately greeted by tulip displays everywhere, just as the sun is trying to break through the clouds. I wasn’t expecting so much infrastructure, I hadn’t pictured much beyond fields of tulips, but actually the set up is really cleverly designed for a complete day out.
For the social media inclined, there is no shortage of incredible places to take a photo – it’s clear that Tulley’s have really thought about what people will want here. From tulip laden trucks, to giant clogs, and layered height tulip boxes to peek through, there is no way you’re coming out of this without a new profile picture.
As it’s early afternoon we decide to get ourselves some food first, and there is a very decent selection of food trucks tucked into the corner of the courtyard with things like Pizza and Greek gyros up for grabs. We however, beeline for the Frik’n Deli Dutch Snacks van to grab some in-theme delicacies. Having been to Amsterdam a couple of years ago we knew we loved Bitterballen, so we tried some of the regular beef ragout ones and the cheese ones, alongside some Patat (fancy chips) covered in mayo and curry ketchup. The honest review is – as good as the Amsterdam ones and a perfect sharing trio.
No Dutch snack service can possibly be complete without a tray or two of Poffertjes, and the list of toppings here is frankly chaotic but brilliant. I went with a mix of Nutella and Dutch syrup (which tasted like liquified Stroopwaffel) and nearly made myself sick, in a good way.
We then head out into the tulip fields themselves, and all I can say is WOW. The fields are absolutely vast and stunningly vibrant. Rows upon rows of dancing tulips of every imaginable type. I feel quite dumb on the tulip front, but I truly didn’t know how many different shapes existed. Some were that traditional Miffy style tulip shape, but others were spikey and almost gothic, some were huge fluffy bursting clouds of colour, and then there were those with incredible toothed edges. Our whole visit was soundtracked with calls of “OOH come and look at this one!” and it was quite funny to hear everyone else there doing exactly the same thing.
There were a couple of musicians rocking about the fields playing a very amusing mix of songs on a portable drum kit and guitar, I particularly loved their renditions of Sweet Dreams and Backstreet’s Back. Another great thing to note about the fields, is the thoughtfulness of putting benches all around the edges for people to rest at on their way around. There were a few people attending that day with limited mobility, who were still able to enjoy time in the tulips as they could take a break.
I also really loved how many people had expressly come with the intention of getting photos amongst the tulips, there were a lot of families, women in beautiful dresses (despite the cold day), kids posing, and more than one puppy photoshoot in progress.
We were quite lucky with the weather in the end, the skies let up for a little sunshine while we were in the fields before another massive downpour later on, but I do want to note that since you book your day and time-slots in advance, there’s no telling what the April weather will do for you! The tulip fields do run into May, and they have different rows planted to come up on a rotation whereby there should always be heaps flowering whenever you come within the window.
After we had feasted our eyes on all the stunning tulips, we headed back up the field to the courtyard again, and into the little hut area which turned out to be a full on coffee shop with wooden booths inside. They serve a cracking hot chocolate, and really good brownies – especially useful if you need to warm up. Another thing to note is that there are lots of undercover spaces with tables/seating available around the courtyard – one family seemed to be throwing a whole Birthday party with cake in one of them, what a lovely idea!
The bathroom facilities were also decent – proper toilet blocks, and a number of separate disabled portaloos at ground level as well, we never had to queue for any of them despite it being fairly busy that day. There were also very knowledgeable staff all over site, checking in with people, chatty and super helpful. After taking a million photos of each other with every possible tulip, we clock the threatening skies and skip into the covered exit shop just before the monsoon began.
The shop is another thing I was surprised by, I expected tulip sales of course (but again, the available variety blew my mind) but there was a huge array of products, from ‘Tulip Fields’ candles which smelled amazing, to clothing, plushies and wooden carved tulips. You could even get yourself a ‘coffee and stroopwafels’ hoodie, which very nearly got me. We did come away with some gorgeous tulips to plant at home – which we learnt were actual ones leftover from this display, and will flower for the next four years.
Tulley’s Tulip Farm far surpassed my expectations, I think it’s a really well designed and unique day out – for all ages! There are still tickets going on the website, and Warwickshire is one of three sites in the UK that you can go to, it’s a strong recommend from me. There’s something very wholesome about giving your eyes something beautiful to look at now and then, to remind yourself that after a longgg winter – warmer days are on the way.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds today announce special guests for their sold out UK headline show at Preston Park, Brighton on Friday 31st July 2026 – their only UK show of the year. Joining the bill are The Flaming Lips, English Teacher, Cate Le Bon and Warmduscher. Brighton has been central to Nick Cave’s life and work for over 25 years, making Preston Park 2026 a truly historic homecoming event.
“I am thrilled beyond words to return to my beloved Brighton with The Bad Seeds to play Preston Park. It’s a homecoming! It’s going to be big, bad and beautiful. An epic show!!!” – Nick Cave
Long established as one of the most iconic, influential forces in alternative rock music, GRAMMY Award-winners The Flaming Lips bring a boundary pushing catalogue that balances darkness with moments of transcendence. Mercury Prize winners English Teacher represent a new wave of British guitar music rich with narrative depth and emotional nuance, while Mercury-Prize-nominated Cate Le Bon’s singular, art-led approach to songwriting and production echoes the more exploratory edges of The Bad Seeds’ work. Warmduscher, meanwhile, channel a raw, kinetic energy that sits comfortably alongside the band’s more unrestrained moments.
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds will perform a setlist which takes songs from all four decades of their storied career including their latest album Wild God.
The top 10 UK album Wild God was released in 2024 to great acclaim and brought fans the sold out Wild God European Tour, one of the live experiences of the year. Produced by Cave and Warren Ellis and mixed by David Fridmann, across ten tracks the band dance between convention and experimentation, taking left-turns and detours that heighten the rich imagery and emotion in Cave’s soul-stirring narratives.
Renowned for their exhilarating and unforgettable performances, The Bad Seeds are widely regarded as one of the most thrilling live bands in the world. This reputation was solidified in 2024, 2025 and early 2026 as critics and fans alike were stunned by The Wild God Tour as it travelled through the UK, Europe, North America and Australia.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds live line up:
Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Colin Greenwood, Jim Sclavunos, George Vjestica,
American Express presents BST Hyde Park welcomes a true legend to the park this summer. The one and only Pitbull AKA Mr. Worldwide headlines on Friday 10 July. Today, BST Hyde Park reveals that two more iconic artists will join him in the park: Tinie Tempah and Lil Jon, joining the previously announced act, Kesha. Final acts to be added and tickets are on sale now, visit bst-hydepark.com.
International superstar Pitbull has sold more than 25 million studio albums and has more than 60 million monthly listeners on streaming platforms. The star has worked with everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Christina Aguilera to Usher and many more. With mega hits including “Don’t Stop the Party”, “Timber”, “Hotel Room Service”, “Time of Our Lives”, “Give Me Everything”, “Fireball’ and “Get On The Floor” the Grammy Award winner has secured his place as not only one of the pre-eminent figures in Latin music and hip hop, but as one of the biggest names in the pop world.
When Tinie Tempah exploded onto the scene with ‘Pass Out’ in 2010, he didn’t just score a hit, he rewrote the blueprint for UK rap forever. Over fifteen years later, with 3 Top Ten albums, 7 number 1’s, and a cultural legacy that paved the way for Britain’s Black music revolution, Tinie Tempah remains the architect of his own unstoppable momentum. From sold-out arenas to festival headlines, from chart domination to cultural zeitgeist moments, Tinie Tempah has consistently proven that longevity in this game isn’t about luck, it’s about evolution. His latest singles ‘Eat It Up’ and ‘Living Life’ make a statement of intent: Tinie Tempah isn’t just back, he’s here to remind everyone why he’s been the standard-setter all along. The game may have changed since 2010, but the throne remains his…
Louder and larger than life, Lil Jon is the undisputed king of crunk and one of hip-hop’s most influential hitmakers. Rising out of Atlanta’s club scene with Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, he helped define the Dirty South sound with era-shaping anthems like “Get Low,” alongside landmark productions including Usher’s Grammy-winning “Yeah!” and “Snap Yo Fingers.” With a string of gold and platinum albums and a catalogue that spans hip-hop, pop and EDM, most notably the global smash “Turn Down for What” with DJ Snake, Lil Jon has remained a dominant force in music for over two decades. Renowned for his live sets, he now brings that same high-octane presence to BST Hyde Park as part of this year’s lineup.
For this special show, BST Hyde Park will also host an official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title attempt for the Largest gathering of people wearing bald caps. The attempt builds on a phenomenon sparked by Pitbull’s devoted international fanbase, including his recent sold-out O2 Arena shows in London where thousands of fans arrived wearing bald caps. BST Hyde Park will bring this fan-led moment to its biggest stage yet, inviting audiences to take part in an official, adjudicated GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title attempt and be part of music history.
Headliners for BST Hyde Park 2026 also include: Garth Brooks (Saturday 27 June) and Lewis Capaldi (Saturday 11 July and Sunday 12 July), Maroon 5 (Friday 3 July), Mumford & Sons (Saturday 4 July), Duran Duran (Sunday 5 July), with final headliners to be announced.
Pitbull also headlines the inaugural American Express presents Roundhay Festival in Leeds on Friday 3 July, joined by Jason Derulo, Tinie Tempah and Lil Jon, with many more acts to be added. Visit roundhayfestival.com.
American Express presents Roundhay Festival, the newest addition to Leeds’ 2026 summer cultural calendar, is excited to announce three iconic names joining Pitbull on Friday 3 July: Jason Derulo, Tinie Tempah and Lil Jon. More acts to be announced and tickets for Mr Worldwide’s debut Leeds show are on sale now, visit www.roundhayfestival.com.
International superstar Pitbull has sold more than 25 million studio albums and has more than 60 million monthly listeners on streaming platforms. The star has worked with everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Christina Aguilera to Usher and many more. With mega hits including “Don’t Stop the Party”, “Timber”, “Hotel Room Service”, “Time of Our Lives”, “Give Me Everything”, “Fireball’ and “Get On The Floor” the Grammy Award winner has secured his place as not only one of the pre-eminent figures in Latin music and hip hop, but as one of the biggest names in the pop world.
With Pitbull in the driving seat, joined by Jason Derulo, Tinie Tempah and Lil Jon, this will be the undisputed party of the year – so grab your bald cap and get down to Roundhay Park.
With nearly 250 million followers across media platforms, Jason Derulo is a true multi-platform powerhouse and ranks among the top pop and urban artists of this or any era. While he may be recognizable worldwide as a multiplatinum singer and songwriter, Jason’s story starts unassumingly. The self-described, “Kid from a Haitian family in Miami,” has quietly and consistently grinded to emerge as one of his generation’s most prolific artists. With over 250 million singles sold and tens of billions of streams, his catalog includes platinum and multiplatinum generational anthems like “Talk Dirty [feat. 2 Chainz],” “Wiggle,” “Swalla,” and “Savage Love,” which hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped charts in 16 countries. Whether collaborating with BTS, Nicki Minaj, Luke Bryan, or Michael Bublé, Derulo continues to blend genre, culture, and global sound with ease. His viral hit “Snake” with Nora Fatehi has racked up over 124 million views. Jason Derulo is also one of the most-followed males on TikTok and a top 10 largest music artist account overall, proving he’s as influential online as he is on the charts.
The global hitmaker continues his momentum with his latest single, “Sexy For Me,” alongside his new album, The Last Dance (Part 1). Over the past year, Derulo has been captivating audiences worldwide with his Last Dance World Tour, and now he’ll be bringing those vibes to Roundhay Park for Pitbull’s headlining show.
When Tinie Tempah exploded onto the scene with “Pass Out” in 2010, he didn’t just score a hit, he rewrote the blueprint for UK rap forever. Over fifteen years later, with 3 Top Ten albums, 7 number 1’s, and a cultural legacy that paved the way for Britain’s Black music revolution, Tinie Tempah remains the architect of his own unstoppable momentum. From sold-out arenas to festival headlines, from chart domination to cultural zeitgeist moments, Tinie Tempah has consistently proven that longevity in this game isn’t about luck, it’s about evolution. His latest singles ‘Eat It Up’ and ‘Living Life’ make a statement of intent: Tinie Tempah isn’t just back, he’s here to remind everyone why he’s been the standard-setter all along. The game may have changed since 2010, but the throne remains his…
Louder and larger than life, Lil Jon is the undisputed king of crunk and one of hip-hop’s most influential hitmakers. Rising out of Atlanta’s club scene with Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz, he helped define the Dirty South sound with era-shaping anthems like “Get Low,” alongside landmark productions including Usher’s Grammy-winning “Yeah!” and “Snap Yo Fingers.” With a string of gold and platinum albums and a catalogue that spans hip-hop, pop and EDM, most notably the global smash “Turn Down for What” with DJ Snake, Lil Jon has remained a dominant force in music for over two decades. Renowned for his live sets, he now brings that same high-octane presence to Roundhay Park as part of this year’s line up.
Pitbull also headlines American Express presents BST Hyde Park on Friday 10 July. Visit www.bst-hydepark.com
Lewis Capaldi has already been announced as the headliner for Saturday 4 July, joined by special guests Conan Gray and Jacob Alon, with more artists for this billing to be announced.
Roundhay Festival headliners, full line-ups and programmes are to be announced.Follow Roundhay on Instagram and X, and join their newsletter here for updates.
Today The Great Escape, taking place from 13-16 May 2025 in Brighton, unveils its full festival schedule for this year’s edition, which can be accessed via the official The Great Escape mobile app. The Great Escape mobile app helps fans navigate the mammoth line-up of 450+ artists, build personalised schedules, and receive live on-site updates. It is available to download for free here.
Following the schedule announcement, The Great Escape also reveals its 2026 stage hosts including media partners Billboard UK, BBC Introducing, Clash, DIY, Dork, Kerrang!, NME, Notion, So Young, The Independent, The Line of Best,Ticketmaster New Music, live agencies ITB, ROAM, WME, management company Raw Power, and independent record labels Bella Union, Hospital Records, Rough Trade, Transgressive Records, Third Man Records, among many more.
The Great Escape also announces a further 43 artists joining the 2026 lineup, continuing its commitment to championing the most exciting new talent from across the globe. Among the latest additions are fast-rising neo-soul voice Nectar Woode, boundary-pushing experimental outfit Mandy, Indiana, and the electrifying Working Men’s Club, whose fusion of post-punk and electronic influences has earned widespread acclaim. They are joined by a diverse wave of emerging and established names including Gabriella Cilmi, Walt Disco, Lizzie Esau, Rafferty, and Oumy, alongside international artists such as La Plata, Tian Qiyi, showmore, and BANSHIMOKU, reflecting the festival’s broad and forward-thinking musical scope.
Synonymous with new music discovery and acting as a springboard for rising artists, The Great Escape is the festival for new music. Playing host to over 450 up-and-coming artists and hotly tipped talent across 35+ walkable venues, alongside the music industry-led TGE conference, the festival will kick off the 2026 season from 13 – 16th May in Brighton, England. Tickets for The Great Escape festival are on sale here
WEDNESDAY 13 MAY STAGE HIGHLIGHTS
For 2026, The Great Escape continues to expand into the Wednesday of the festival, once again delivering four full days of music programming. Opening the week, The Line of Best Fit will host a showcase at Green Door Store featuring Sword II, The Healing Power of Horses, Pollyfromthedirt, and PISS. Meanwhile, BBC Introducing Sussex and Surrey takes over Concorde 2 with performances from Winter Gardens, Gilska, Room Service, and Lemonsuckr. Over at Patterns Downstairs, Notion will present Boutique Feelings, Elín Hall, Sword II, Hemi Hemmingway, and The Itch, marking a strong start to the festival’s opening day.
THURSDAY 14 MAY STAGE HIGHLIGHTS
On Thursday, The Great Escape continues its city-wide celebration of new music with an eclectic programme of showcases across Brighton. This year’s Lead Country Partner New Zealand hosts two showcases at Patterns, and So Young takes over Chalk with performances from Sylvie’s Head, Little Grandad, Madra Salach, and Westside Cowboy, while Rough Trade hosts at Charles Street Tap featuring Twat Union, Max Winter, Pigeon, Sunday Mourners, and The Orielles. At Dust, Hard of Hearing presents a diverse lineup including Morn, Slag, Annie Dog, Salarymen, Ribbon Skirt, Bathing Suits, and IBSXJAUR, while Resident hosts at Green Door Store with Brother Wallace, Ain’t, Saint Claire, BED, PISS, and Unsafe Space Garden. Over at Patterns, Clash curates a two floor takeover featuring artists including Clothesline from Hell, Really Good Time, BIG WETT, SILVERWINGKILLER, TAIGA, alongside Archie, Tukki, AVA Joe, Cowboyy, and more. Elsewhere, BBC Radio 1 presenter Jodie Bryant hosts a showcase at Revenge featuring Lukas Oscar, Au/Ra, Sexy Tadhg, and Girl Group, alongside additional takeovers at the venue from One Fiinx. On the seafront, Ticketmaster New Music and WME present beachside lineups including Lime Garden, Lottery Winners, and The Haunted Youth. Further highlights include a 20 year anniversary celebration from Raw Power at The Old Market, plus showcases from ROAM at Komedia Basement and ITB at The Prince Albert, bringing yet more emerging talent to the heart of the city.
FRIDAY 15 MAY STAGE HIGHLIGHTS
As the weekend approaches, Friday sees The Great Escape ramp up across Brighton with another wave of standout showcases. Returning news partner The Independent hosts a TGE Spotlight Show at Daltons, with Peaches supported by Bimini at the Brighton Dome Concert Hall. A major highlight for 2026 sees NME join The Great Escape as a new media partner, bringing its renowned tastemaker energy to The Old Market. Known for spotlighting the next wave of breakthrough artists, NME’s debut showcase features a lineup including Any Young Mechanic, Chanpan, Girl Scout, and Mandy, Indiana, marking an exciting new addition to the festival’s 2026 programme. Nearby, Notion takes over Quarters with Arima Ederra, Raghd, The Orchestra (For Now), Sassy 009, and PVA. Along the seafront, Billboard UK curates a packed beach lineup featuring artists including Adult DVD, Madra Salach, and Keo, joined by The Team showcasing emerging names such as My First Time. Across the city, DIY brings Spacestation, Marsey, and Men An Tol to Horatio’s, while Transgressive Records and Third Man Records host standout bills at Chalk and Dust. Elsewhere, Wordplay heads to Patterns, while Earth and Ones to Watch take over Revenge. From the Royal Albert Hall’s curated showcase at Brighthelm Centre to Pure at The Hope & Ruin and Free Trade at The Prince Albert, Friday delivers a city-wide snapshot of the most exciting new music around.
The Great Escape has also revealed details for The Late Escape, its official after-hours programme spotlighting cutting-edge electronic and club talent across Brighton. This year’s series is led by Hospital Records, marking 30 years of one of the most influential and trusted names in drum & bass, in a special collaboration with b:electronic. Taking centre stage on Friday, the takeover celebrates Hospital Records’ legacy with some of the top names in drum and bass such as Etherwood, Hoax, Solah, and Stay-C The night also features a Room 2 hosted by Brighton institution Tru Thoughts, further anchoring the event in the city’s rich musical heritage. Running from 11:30PM to 4AM, The Late Escape spans key Brighton venues across the weekend, with stand-alone tickets on sale now and The Great Escape wristband holders granted access subject to capacity.
SATURDAY 16 MAY STAGE HIGHLIGHTS
Bringing The Great Escape to a powerful close, Saturday delivers a final burst of bold new sounds across Brighton. On the seafront, Get In Her Ears hosts a high energy beach showcase featuring Jessie Mac, Steel., YAKKIE, The Baby Seals, and Problem Patterns, while Bella Union heads to Quarters with a lineup including Family Stereo, My Precious Bunny, LuxJury, Patche, and Congratulations. New for 2026, the festival introduces its New Press initiative, inviting emerging media platforms to host their own stages. Highlights include The New Age Magazine x Still Listening at Horatio’s, Crafting Room at Komedia, and Kinda Weird taking over Patterns, alongside further showcases from Negativeland at The Prince Albert and The Indie Scene at Water Bear. Sounds Australia will return to host all three stages at TGE’s beach site. Closing out the weekend in style, Dork returns to host the festival’s official closing party, promising a huge final send off with a special secret headliner still under wraps, bringing four days of new music discovery to an unforgettable finish.
Returning partners for 2026 include ACS, AWAL, Bandcamp, Downtown Music, PPL, PRS Foundation, PRS For Music, Qobuz, SESAC, The Orchard, Vevo, and Virgin Music, while Country and Trade partners include CIMA, M For Montreal, CNM, Zeitgeist, Music from Ireland, NOMEX, Creative Scotland, Showcase Cyrmu, Export Music Sweden, and Swiss Music Export.
FULL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE REVEALED
The full schedule for The Great Escape’s industry-leading conference is revealed today, featuring a host of newly announced sessions. Highlights include a keynote conversation between boundary-pushing artist Peaches and TRANS VOICES co-founder ILĀ, presented by The Independent, alongside new panels from PPL, PRS and AWAL. The programme also includes the return of speed networking sessions, offering delegates the opportunity to connect with global festival bookers, live agents, music supervisors and promoters. Taking place from Wednesday 15 – Friday 17 May, the conference will mark its 20th anniversary with its most ambitious and expansive edition to date.
Yardworks Festival returns to SWG3 on Saturday 2 May and Sunday 3 May 2026, marking its 10th anniversary with its most ambitious edition to date. Across two full days, the venue will once again be transformed into a working canvas, bringing together international muralists, local pioneers and emerging talent for a packed programme of live painting, installations, workshops, music and street culture.
Since launching in 2016, Yardworks has grown from a grassroots gathering into Scotland’s leading festival of graffiti and urban art, now firmly established on the European circuit. For its anniversary year, the programme expands beyond the walls, with a broader focus on participation, education and the role of street art within the city.
Across the weekend, visitors can watch large-scale murals unfold in real time, with artists working across SWG3’s indoor and outdoor spaces. This year’s line-up features more than 120 artists, spanning internationally recognised names alongside the next generation shaping the scene.
New additions to the 2026 edition include PEACHZZ, recently ranked among the world’s leading street artists, alongside .EPOD, whose work blends graffiti with fine art and futurist influences. Also joining the programme are ZURIK, known for bold WildStyle lettering, and WILLIAN, whose detailed character work draws on vintage illustration and themes of identity.
Representing Scotland are KMG & Pizzaboy, with further UK names including Katie Scott, Aroe, Tech Moon and Tizer. The international line-up is further strengthened by ESKAE and HOACS from the USA, alongside Nexus and Strapper from Australia, reflecting the depth and global reach of the scene. Beyond the murals, Yardworks continues to expand its interactive offer, with an enhanced programme of drop-in activities, workshops and participatory installations across the weekend.
The Family Zone will run across both days from the SWG3 Warehouse, included within the ticket price, offering a wide range of hands-on activities. These include Spray Can Upcycling, transforming empty festival cans into colourful ornaments, and T-shirt Design, where visitors can rework previous Yardworks garments into new pieces using fabric pens, patches and heat press vinyl. Building Blocks, supported by Quickblocks, invites children to construct large-scale structures, while returning favourites such as The Cube and Posca Walls encourage collaborative, open-access creativity for all ages.
The Doodle-a-thon also returns, with Yardworks once again aiming to create the longest collaborative doodle at a public event, building on last year’s unofficial record attempt.
A new and expanded workshops programme will run across the weekend. For younger visitors, 30-minute spray painting sessions offer the chance to design and create a canvas piece to take home (£20). Adult workshops introduce more specialist techniques, including Design Your Deck, where participants create a bespoke artwork on a skateboard deck (£45), alongside sessions in traditional signwriting and Japanese calligraphy.
New for 2026, Yardworks introduces a series of additional events and satellite activity. Beyond SWG3, the Kingston Bridge Satellite Site will see 16 pillars transformed as part of the ongoing Yardworks GRID placemaking programme, while the Clyde Walkway will host a refreshed programme of live painting across its established legal wall.
An expanded talks and industry programme will run across the weekend, including a book launch, film screening and roundtable discussions exploring the role of graffiti and street art in culture, identity and regeneration. Alongside the art, street food traders and SWG3 bars will run throughout the weekend, with indoor and outdoor seating across the site. The event remains fully accessible and family-friendly, with activities designed to be explored at your own pace.
As always, there will be plenty on offer for you to eat throughout the weekend. Some of the city’s best street vendors, including Wow Burger, Streat Scullery, The Wee Taqueria and more will head down to serve up fried chicken, bao buns, tacos, pizza, loaded fries and award-winning churros from Loop and Scoop, as well as ice cream from Tony’s Ice Cream Van.
SWG3’s bars will be stocked with all your favourite drinks, making it the perfect event for a get-together with friends and family, with plenty of outdoor seating areas that are ideal for sitting down and taking in all the action.
Artist Line-Up (2026) 120 artists including collectives will take part in this year’s festival:
5STAR 7TH PENCIL .AGES .EPOD AGNES AKME ALKO ANSLEY RANDALL ANTONE AROE ASER B-SIDE BATZ BIRDIE BMORE SKETCHY BONZAI BOOTY CHRISTIAN KERR CLAIRE KOSTRIC CONZO DAVID ALVES ED HICKS EKTO ELNO EMSKY ESKAE EVADE FRODRIK FUNKY GENT GILLIAN LAW HANS HOACS IKUL INUK IZMO JAPHER KATIE FORBES KATIE SCOTT KITSA KMG YEAH KONE LIGHTBODY LOURS MAGS MARIANNA DE SANTOS MIKHAELA MARTIN MOLD MOLLY HANKINSON MR OREO NEXUS NITRAM JOKE NIZMO ODDHOUSE OUTR PEACHZZ PELIKAN BABA PHYSIKS PIZZA BOY PLED POSEA POUT PROTEST & SUFFERAGETTES PSA RABB RASK RBF CREW RECKLESS REVES ROLEK SECK SHAUNA BLANCHFIELD SHONA HARDIE SIDOK SLIDERBANDITS SMT CREW SNUB SODA SOUPY SPRITE STOCKE STRAPER TAP END TEF TECH MOON THE LAST ONE THEME THIS ONE TIWS TOCS TOOTS TIZER TRENCH USTO VERNIS TORINO VISUALANTI VUES WEE THISTLES WILLIAN WOM COLLECTIVE YARD WARRIORZ ZURIK
Tickets for Yardworks Festival 2026 are on sale now here.
The finished artwork will be available for public viewing from 10am-4pm, Monday to Thursday.
To book a tour or workshop for a school or community group, email: [email protected]
