If you’re an industry delegate heading to The Great Escape in Brighton this May, you’re going to want to pay close attention to what’s coming out of Australia and Aotearoa right now. Live Nation Australia & New Zealand is making its presence felt in a big way at the festival’s 20th anniversary edition — with panels, showcases, networking events, and a stage takeover that collectively make a pretty compelling case for the Southern Hemisphere as one of the most exciting regions in music right now.
Here’s everything happening and when.
New Zealand As Lead Country Partner
The headline news is that New Zealand has been named the Lead Country Partner for The Great Escape’s 20th anniversary — a landmark moment made possible through a partnership between the New Zealand Music Commission and Live Nation New Zealand, with backing from the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and The British Council. It’s a genuine statement of intent, and the programme they’ve put together reflects that.
Kicking things off on Thursday 14 May is an industry panel called Far Out: Building A Global Music Career From The End Of The Earth. Moderated by Jessie Scoullar, the session brings together musicians and industry figures from Aotearoa to talk about what it actually takes to build a global career from one of the most geographically isolated places on the planet — the strategies, the mindset shifts, the creative breakthroughs that come from having no choice but to think differently. Featuring Lara Marie, Caitlin Gosling, and artists Luca George and Hemi Hemingway, it runs from 10am to 11am at the Leonardo Royal, Noblesse Room. Delegates only.
Later that same day, New Zealand takes over Patterns on Brighton’s Marine Parade for an official showcase running from 12pm to 4pm. Across two stages upstairs and downstairs, the 2026 NZ delegation performs — LEAO, Vera Ellen, Muroki and Luca George upstairs, with WHO SHOT SCOTT, Hemi Hemingway, Ringlets and Jude Kelly downstairs. Len Blake, Office Dog, and Ratbag also play across the wider festival from 13 to 16 May.
To round out New Zealand’s presence, there’s a networking event on Friday 15 May from 4pm to 6pm at On The Rocks on Brighton Beach — an informal gathering of artists, delegates, labels, agents, managers, media and tastemakers, with drinks, light hospitality, and music that reflects the spirit of Aotearoa. Delegates only, and one worth showing up to.
Australia’s Ones To Watch Goes Global
Australia isn’t sitting quietly either. Live Nation Australia’s Ones To Watch programme is making its first-ever appearance on the international stage through a partnership with Sounds Australia, bringing the Sounds Australia At The Beach x Ones To Watch Stage to Brighton’s foreshore on Saturday 16 May.
The lineup across the afternoon is a sharp one — Flynn Gurry opens at 12:30pm, followed by Loose Content, Salarymen, Darcie Haven, Ngaiire, Charli Lucas, and Teenage Joans closing things out at 5:30pm. If you need convincing that Australian artists are cutting through globally right now, this stage will do the job.
When & Where At A Glance
- Panel: Far Out — Thursday 14 May, 10am–11am, Leonardo Royal, Noblesse Room (Delegates only)
- NZ Official Showcase — Thursday 14 May, 12pm–4pm, Patterns, 10 Marine Parade
- NZ Networking Event — Friday 15 May, 4pm–6pm, On The Rocks, Brighton Beach (Delegates only)
- Sounds Australia At The Beach x Ones To Watch Stage — Saturday 16 May, 12:30pm–6pm, Brighton Foreshore
The Great Escape runs 13–16 May in Brighton.