When you think of Brighton, its music scene is probably one of the first things that comes to mind, and the festivals are certainly not to be missed. From grassroots venues to enormous beach shows, the city has pretty much everything covered. Here are five of the best music festivals in Brighton to add to your calendar.
1. The Great Escape
Best for: Finding your new favourite artist before everybody else
Next festival: 12–15 May 2027
Tickets: Early-bird tickets for 2027 are currently £113
The Great Escape is probably the best-known festival on this list. Often described as Brighton’s answer to SXSW, it brings hundreds of emerging artists to more than 30 walkable venues. One wristband gets you into all of the official shows, although entry is subject to capacity.
The 2026 festival celebrated its 20th anniversary, with The Kooks, Peaches and Kingfishr taking the headline slots. However, the biggest names are not really the point. The best part is hearing about a band in a queue, racing across the city and seeing them in a venue they could soon be far too big to play.
This year, artists including Nectar Woode, Bleech 9:3, and Compost Compost Compost generated plenty of buzz. Quebec duo Angine de Poitrine also became one of the most talked-about acts of the weekend after two Brighton shows involving matching outfits, a double-necked guitar and some seriously tight live playing.
Yes, the large music-industry crowd means that some gigs can feel slightly like networking events with a soundtrack. But if you want to discover what could be coming next in music, The Great Escape is hard to beat.
2. On The Beach
Best for: Huge acts, sea air, and gloriously impractical footwear
Next festival: July 2027, with dates and line-up to be announced
2026 ticket prices: General admission started from around £32, depending on the show
Ok, this one is exactly what it says on the tin. On The Beach takes place on Brighton Beach, with a series of huge one-day shows spread across two weekends in July. Each day has its own headliner and supporting bill, so you can pick the line-up that works best for you rather than committing to the entire festival.
In 2026, Fatboy Slim returned to his home city for four Big Beach Boutique shows. Madness took over the following Thursday and Friday, before The Maccabees played a homecoming set in the city where the band first formed. Finally, Moby closed the festival with a full live band. Support came from the likes of Groove Armada, Horse Meat Disco, Miles Kane, Anna Calvi, SWIM, and Logic1000. Music fans will find themselves like children in a sweet shop; just take your pick of stellar artists from the line-up.
On The Beach only launched in 2021, but it follows in the footsteps of Fatboy Slim’s legendary free Brighton beach parties, which began in 2002. Of course, dancing on pebbles might not sound particularly comfortable. Still, watching the sun go down behind a seafront stage is probably worth wearing sensible shoes for once.
3. Brighton & Hove Pride: Pride on the Park
Best for: Huge pop performances with an actual sense of purpose
Next festival: 2027 dates to be announced
Brighton Pride is not strictly just a music festival, but leaving Pride on the Park off this list would be ridiculous. The two-day event takes at Preston Park with a mix of pop stars, DJs and queer performers, all as part of Brighton’s wider weekend of celebration and protest.
For its 35th anniversary in 2026, RAYE headlined Pride’s Saturday festival, with the legendary Diana Ross to close Sunday. Jessie J, Self Esteem, Leigh-Anne and G FLIP also appeared on the main stage, while RuPaul, Mel C, Purple Disco Machine, Armand Van Helden, and The Blessed Madonna performed iconic DJ sets across the weekend.
It is probably the most pop-focused festival on this list, but Pride in the Park is about so much more that the performances. The festival is the official fundraiser for Brighton & Hove Pride, supporting LGBTQ+ community groups through the wider organisation. By attending, you can watch some of the biggest names in pop and support an important cause at the same time. What more could you want?
4. Brighton Psych Fest
Best for: All things psych-rock, prog-rock, and slightly out-there
When: Friday 4 September 2026, 1pm–3am
Tickets: Second-release tickets are £40
Now in its third year, Brighton Psych Fest is one of the newer festivals on Brighton’s calendar. As the name suggests, there is plenty of psychedelic rock, but the line-up also stretches into dream-pop, shoegaze, experimental music and plenty of difficult-to-define alternative sounds.
Stereolab lead the 2026 line-up, but there really is something for everyone. White Denim, Allah-Las, Anna von Hausswolff and Gwenno are also performing, alongside newer names including Night Tapes, Mary in the Junkyard, Bleech 9:3 and Martial Arts.
Not sure that psychedelic music is your thing? The line-up is broad enough that you might surprise yourself. Plus, with 14 hours of live music for £40, Brighton Psych Fest costs about the same as one mid-sized gig. It is the perfect chance to watch a band you already love, before wandering into another venue and finding something completely unexpected.
5. Mutations Festival
Best for: Seeing the next big thing while it is still the next small thing
When: Friday 23–Saturday 24 October 2026
Tickets: Early-bird weekend tickets are £73.13, or £61.88 for under-25s
Do you like being able to say you saw a band before they got big? If so, Mutations Festival might be the one for you. The festival takes over nine grassroots venues across Brighton, with one wristband giving you access to all of the shows across either one day or the whole weekend.
Its previous line-ups read like a list of some of the most exciting new artists of the last five years. CMAT, Yard Act and Sprints played in 2021, followed by The Last Dinner Party, Wunderhorse and Fat Dog in 2022. English Teacher appeared in 2023, Kneecap in 2024 and KEO in 2025. Think of Mutations Festival like a crystal ball of the next big thing…there’s a good chance they’ve found your new favourite band before you have.
For its eighth edition, Fat Dog return as a headliner, this time joined by Mike D 5D, the new project from Beastie Boys’ Mike Diamond. More than 70 further artists are due to be announced in the first line-up wave on 5 August, so keep an eye out.
The under-25 weekend ticket also makes Mutations one of the more student-friendly options on this list. Just remember that the festival is 18+, and popular venues can reach capacity. If there is an act you are desperate to see, get there early.
So, there you have it, five of the best music festivals in Brighton. From emerging artists and experimental sounds to huge pop acts on the seafront, there really is something for everyone. The only difficult part is deciding which one to book first.
I’m a recent graduate of History at Durham University, and am currently studying my Master’s in History at the same uni. I love all things arts and culture, and I’m usually getting involved in music or drama in some way or other!
