Launching last week with shows across London, the first lineup drop already shows the strength of next year’s collection of the most promising new artists out there.

Last week, The Great Escape launched its First Fifty, the first wave of artists announced for the 2025 festival, with a scattering of shows across London featuring these acts. The night was a show of the strength in depth of the lineup at this very early stage, with hundreds more names to be added over the next few months.

The Great Escape is a platform for an international array of bands caught on the brink of their next big step, notably a springboard in recent years for the likes of Wet Leg and The Last Dinner Party. Though the festival welcomes a diverse range of styles, alternative music has always been a cornerstone of its appeal, and this year is already shaping up to reflect that. The Orchestra (For Now) immediately catch the eye for anyone enchanted by their grandiose and meticulous compositions, showcased regularly at The Windmill and this summer at Green Man after the band won the Rising competition. Their brand-new single ‘Wake Robin’ captures them at their best if you need a taster.

Having just released their debut single on Dan Carey’s Speedy Wunderground, we are excited to catch Disgusting Sisters, whose debut single ‘Killing It’ and fantastic accompanying video combines Delta 5 groove with a gloriously anarchic attitude. TTSSFU is another highlight, who impressed at MOTH Club with her brilliant, hard-edged take on dream pop, her set coming off the back of the recent announcement of her signing to Partisan Records.

Keo are evidently headed in the right direction, spots at this year’s Left of the Dial and a sold out first headline at the Windmill catching the attention of tastemakers like John Kennedy and Charlie Ashcroft. They supported Luvcat, whose combination of lounge glitz and lo-fi indie creates a genuinely exciting synthesis. Her profile recently shot through the roof with murder ballad ‘He’s My Man’, which had something of a viral moment on TikTok. Elsewhere on the bill, corto.alto has been dazzling with his uniquely modern takeoff on jazz that earned him a Mercury nomination this year. Meanwhile, Laundromat Chicks are one of the first international acts on the bill. Hailing from Vienna’s surprisingly fertile scene, the irresistibly charming jangle rockers make their UK debut with this appearance at the festival.

Ahead of further lineup announcements, it is worth wrapping your ears around this manageable first batch while you can. In recent years, the First Fifty had often provided some key highlights of the lineup and gone on to set the tone for British music for the years beyond.

Full lineup, tickets and delegate passes available at: https://greatescapefestival.com/