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The Great Escape issues statement after three women die in Brighton sea tragedy
The Great Escape has issued a statement after three women died in the sea off Brighton as the festival opened in the city.
The Great Escape has responded after three women died in the sea off Brighton, issuing a statement to ticket-holders as the festival opened in the city on Wednesday May 13.
The first day of the new music festival coincides with one of its showcase events, the opening beach party tonight presented by NME and headlined by Angine De Poitrine. In the wake of the overnight incident on Brighton beach, organisers moved quickly to reassure attendees that the event will still proceed as planned and safely.
Emergency services were called to Madeira Drive at around 5:45am, where the bodies of three women were recovered from the sea. Despite the efforts of ambulance crews and paramedics, all three were declared dead at the scene.
In a statement, The Great Escape said:
“Following the very sad and tragic events that took place on Brighton beach this morning, The Great Escape Festival wish to extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased at this difficult time.”
The festival also thanked the emergency services and sought to clarify that its site was unaffected.
“For those attending The Great Escape 2026, we wish to assure you that Brighton beach is a large public area and the section of beach occupied by The Great Escape Festival site has not been affect by the incident.”
“Following guidance from the relevant authorities, festival operations and scheduled performances will continue as planned,” they added.
Speaking at a news conference, Sussex Police Chief Superintendent Adam Hays said:
“This is a tragic incident and we are at the very early stages of our enquiries. Our priority right now is to identify all three women and contact their next of kin.”
This year marks the 20th anniversary of The Great Escape, which runs until May 16. More than 450 up-and-coming and hotly tipped artists are due to play across 35 walkable venues in the city, with the full line-up available via the official mobile app here.
NME is also hosting its own stage at the festival, set for The Old Market on Friday May 15. French/Mancunian noiseniks Mandy, Indiana and Swedish garage rockers Girl Scout top the bill, both of whom have recently appeared in The Cover, NME’s flagship cover story franchise spotlighting the best and brightest in new music.
The NME Stage line-up also includes NYC alt-pop trio Chanpan and Aussie indie five-piece Any Young Mechanics.
NME will additionally present the NME 100 Gig Guide: The Great Escape Edition, a guide to seeing artists from the NME 100, the publication’s annual list of essential emerging artists, who will be playing live in Brighton next month.
