The Great Escape is thrilled to announce that The Kooks will return to Brighton to headline a very special 20th Anniversary Spotlight Show, presented by NME, at the The Deep End at the TGE Beach Site on Wednesday 13 May 2026.

In a full-circle moment for the festival, the Brighton-formed indie icons were among the breakthrough acts who performed at the very first edition of The Great Escape in 2006. That same year, the band released their multi-platinum debut album Inside In/Inside Out, which also celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2026.

Featuring era-defining hits including Naïve, She Moves in Her Own Way and Seaside, the record helped define a generation of UK indie and established The Kooks as one of the leading voices of the mid-2000s guitar revival. Returning to the city where it all began, this landmark Spotlight Show celebrates both the band’s legacy and two decades of new music discovery at The Great Escape.

Presented in partnership with NME, the show forms part of the festival’s year-long 20th anniversary celebrations, bringing one of TGE’s earliest success stories back to Brighton for a special seaside performance.