NME has officially announced its dedicated stage for The Great Escape 2026, set to showcase a dynamic lineup of emerging talent during the festival's 20th anniversary celebrations in Brighton.
The NME Stage will be hosted at The Old Market on Friday, May 15, 2026, headlined by French/Mancunian noise-punk act Mandy, Indiana and Swedish garage rockers Girl Scout. Both artists have recently been featured in NME's flagship cover story series, The Cover, highlighting their status as breakthrough acts in the music scene.
Joining them will be New York City alt-pop trio Chanpan and Australian indie five-piece Any Young Mechanic, rounding out an evening dedicated to new and essential artists.
In addition to the stage announcement, NME revealed the launch of the NME 100 Gig Guide: The Great Escape Edition, a comprehensive guide designed to help festival-goers discover performances by artists from the annual NME 100 list across various venues in Brighton. The guide is scheduled for release in late April.
The Great Escape 2026, taking place from May 13 to 16, marks two decades of showcasing new and emerging music. The festival's lineup also includes headliners such as Peaches, The Lottery Winners, Villanelle, and BIG WETT, with NME presenting a special spotlight show by The Kooks.
This dedicated stage underscores NME's ongoing commitment to promoting cutting-edge talent at one of the UK's premier festivals for discovering future stars.