Irish indie-folk trio Kingfishr have been announced as the headliners for a Spotlight Show at The Great Escape 2026, taking place at the Brighton Dome Concert Hall on Thursday, 14th May. Tickets for the standalone show will go on general sale at 10 am on Friday, 21st November, giving fans an early chance to secure their place at one of the festival’s key performances.
Alongside the headline announcement, the festival has also revealed the final 26 artists for its ‘FIRST FIFTY’ lineup, completing the list of the first fifty acts set to perform in 2026. The new additions include hyped Manchester indie group Westside Cowboy, Scottish soul-pop songwriter Becky Sikasa, and Canadian psych-rockers Meltt. The announcement coincides with the FIRST FIFTY live launch, which takes place this evening across multiple venues in East London, offering a preview of the emerging talent.
Access to the Kingfishr Spotlight Show will be available through several presales ahead of the general release. An artist and venue presale will begin at 10 am on Wednesday, 19th November, followed by a Live Nation presale at 10 am on Thursday, 20th November. All tickets will be available via greatescapefestival.com. The main Great Escape festival will run from 13th to 16th May 2026, with a limited number of saver tickets starting from £108 currently available.
Hailing from Limerick, Kingfishr—comprised of Eddie Keogh, Eoin “Fitz” Fitzgibbon, and Eoghan “McGoo” McGrath—have rapidly gained a following for their anthemic energy and emotive lyrics. The trio, who formed during lockdown, saw their breakout track “Killeagh” spend 18 weeks in the Irish Top 10 and achieve four-times platinum status. Their performance at The Great Escape is being billed as a triumphant return to the festival for one of Ireland’s fastest-rising acts.
The ‘FIRST FIFTY’ acts represent a curated list of the most promising new global artists. Among the 26 newly announced names are genre-blending act Mustbejohn, acclaimed alt-R&B artist Ngaiire, British performance poet Sophia Thakur, and mysterious Ukrainian artist Carpetman. They join previously revealed acts such as Ain’t, Annie-Dog, Ashaine White, and Dermot Henry, creating a diverse and exciting initial lineup for the 2026 event.
The Great Escape is renowned for new music discovery, hosting over 450 up-and-coming artists across more than 35 walkable venues in Brighton. It serves as a major springboard for rising talent and also includes the music industry-led TGE conference.
The Great Escape 2026 – First Fifty Line-up (A–Z)
- Ain’t
- Annie-Dog
- Ashaine White
- Au/Ra
- AVA Joe
- Bean Magazine
- Becky Sikasa
- BED
- Big Long Sun
- Carpetman
- Clothesline from Hell
- DC3
- Dermot Henry
- Elsa
- Gareth
- Girl Group
- Girl Tones
- Isak Benjamin
- Jack Devlin
- James Emmanuel
- Kellan Christopher Cragg
- ladylike
- Lily Moore
- Little Grandad
- Madra Salach
- Marlon Funaki
- Max Baby
- Meltt
- Morn
- Mustbejohn
- Ngaiire
- Persia Holder
- PISS
- Really Good Time
- Ringlets
- Saint Clair
- Sean Trelford
- SISTRA
- SLAG
- Sophia Thakur
- Tanzana
- Teenage Joans
- The Itch
- THE OBGMs
- Tommy WÁ
- Truman Sinclair
- Tukki
- Wah Wah Wah
- Westside Cowboy
- Yndling
Add as a preferred source