The Independent is back as exclusive news partner for the 2027 Festival.

The Great Escape returns to Brighton from 12-15 May 2027.

The Independent has announced the renewal of its longstanding relationship with The Great Escape, the UK and Europe’s leading festival for new music. The Independent will act as the festival’s exclusive news partner for 2027.

The renewed partnership will see The Independent continue its support of The Great Escape, championing emerging artists and providing in-depth coverage of the festival and its programme. The partnership will also include live music activity, with The Independent once again bringing its editorial voice and platform to one of the UK’s most important celebrations of new music.

Alongside the partnership announcement, The Great Escape has revealed its first group of conference collaborators for 2027, bringing together influential organisations from across the music industry to help shape the conversations, ideas and debates at the heart of next year’s event.

The first announced collaborators include the Council of Music Makers (CMM), Youth Music, Music Venues Alliance Brighton (MVAB), PPL and BIMM University. Together, they represent a broad cross-section of the music business, spanning artists and creators, live music, emerging talent, music rights, education and media.

Taking place in Brighton from 12–15 May 2027, The Great Escape Conference will once again bring together thousands of music industry professionals from around the world for a programme of panels, keynote interviews, networking and discussions exploring the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of music.

The 2026 edition welcomed 4,000 industry delegates from 49 countries, reinforcing its position as one of the world’s most internationally attended new music conferences.

Roisin O’Connor, The Independent’s Music Editor, says “I’m delighted that The Independent is continuing its partnership with The Great Escape festival. TGE has established itself as the festival in the UK to discover the most exciting up-and-coming artists, and I know The Independent will be offering plenty of in-depth coverage both before and during next year’s event, as well as hosting some truly brilliant live music.”

Nathalie von Rotz, Event Manager at The Great Escape, said: “The Great Escape is all about bringing the music industry together to share ideas, build connections and discover new opportunities. Our conference collaborators play a vital role in making that happen, bringing together expertise from across the industry, from artists and creators to live music, recorded music, media and education. We’re delighted to be working with such a fantastic group of organisations for 2027, drawing on their knowledge and networks to deliver thought-provoking discussions that tackle the biggest issues facing the music business and help shape its future.”

Further details of the conference programme, including keynote speakers, panel topics and networking opportunities, will be announced in the coming months.

Delegate passes and conference-only passes are now available to purchase via greatescapefestival.com/buy-delegate-passes. The Great Escape is also offering discounted delegate passes for anyone aged 18–24, designed to make conference and networking opportunities more accessible to young people starting out in the music industry.