By now hopefully you’ve trawled through the list of hundreds of bands playing the Great Escape, and are wondering what else is out there. Or maybe you haven’t got a ticket, but know there’s going to be loads of great free stuff on anyway. If only there was one place where you could easily find out information about all* of the unofficial gigs. Well, here it is. It always ends up being one of my most popular posts every year, partly for that reason, but maybe because it’s one of the few I make that covers bands from outside of town. Anyway, strap in, because there are LOADs this year. For each event I’ve included the venue, name, link to a fb event or instagram / twitter post, and the line up (where available):

Wednesday 10th May
The Pipeline / Brighton Noise
Cowboyy, Mullholland
The Hope & Ruin / The Greatest Cape (paid) 
Other Half, Brutalligators, H_ngm_n, Regal Cheer, Buds
The Hope & Ruin (downstairs) / Ditz Disco 
Rossi Bar / Collective Mind x Basement Flat 
Lori Asha, Menda, Jimi
Green Door Store / Alt Alt Escape Kick Off Party 
Keg, Modern Woman, Flip Top Head, Mximilian, Moon Idle, Lambrini Girls (DJ Set)

Thursday 11th May
Arcobeleno / Kick Out The Jams x The Songbird HQ x Bubblebrain Records 
Ruth Lyon, DUM FUN, The Trusted, Just Kids, SHADY BABY, Mango In Euphoria, The Velvet Hands, Sour Kix, CURRLS, KOPPER, Sovereigns, This Is War!, After London, Creeping Jean
The Rosehill / Melting Vinyl Fire Records showcase (Ticketed / SOLD OUT!) 
Islet, Bas Jan, Thala, RVG
The Pipeline / Brighton Noise 
Soft Walls, Regal Cheer, Garden Centre, Public Body, Lobby
Grand Central / End of the Trail 
Harker, IORA, School Disco, Wedance, The Kut, Bighead Tea Drinkers, Enjoyable Listens, Flora, Hollows, House of Plenty, Dan Ottewell, Eddz, Hugmynd, Chavez Cartel, Erin May
St Nicholas Church / Alt Alt Escape 
Micheal Baker, speelburg, Ellie Ford, Bee and Jackrabbit, Hilang child
The Hope & Ruin / No Friends in the Industry: LTN’s unofficial TGE party 
My First Time, Al Costelloe, Hanya, Frozemode, Kyoto Kyoto, Humour
Fiddlers Elbow / No Friends in the Industry: LTN’s unofficial TGE party 
Public Body, Cumgirl8, Dejiuvhs
Sidewinder / Scruff of the Neck x Believe 
1Up / Acoustic All Dayer 
Neev, Bryony Dunn, Darragh, Route 500, Luke Fraser, Bertie Newman, Darcey Hope, Alexander Wood, Liza Lo, Quaking Aspens, Fred Greaves, Mehala Ray, Jack Left, Caitlin, Natsuma, Martha Eve, Sunflower Thieves, Harley J Hensen, Julia-Maria, Dwara, Charlie Bennett, Lily Wolfe, Emma Thomas
Unbarred brewery / Joy x Unbarred party (sign up for tickets) 
Headline TBA, Teeth Machine, pinkpirate, Antony Szmierek, HEIGHTS, Modern Woman, Elanor Moss, Girl Scout, Lip Filler
Smithereen Takeover / Black Lion 
Our Propaganda, Monakis, Currls, Youth Sector, Projector, Feet, Snake Eyes, I know I know, Snayx, Sick Joy, Secret Act, CLT DRP, Kid Kapichi (DJ Set)
Smithereen / Takeover Mesmerist 
Genevieve Mills, Family jools, Wavysof, Storry, Gravy River, Rising Fever, Wynona, Yumi & The Weather, Harrison Larner-Main, Trueman & The Indoor League, Secret Act x 2
Smithereen / Takeover Post House 
Blair Davie, Bojockey, dan Ottewell, Burr Island, Oktoba, Lean with the Breeze, Aiden Grimshaw, Rachel Hawker, Mia
Folklore Rooms / Form Party 
Gurriers, Cloth, Two Blinks I Love You, Hannah Georgas, Haley Blais, Elle Coves, Ichiko Aoba
Rossi Bar / DHP Family 
Ichiko Aoba, Hutch, C Turtle, Militarie Gun, She’s in Parties
Presuming Eds / the Greatest Cape x Collect Call 
Slimy Bench, Debdepan, The Stanford Family Band, Archie Sagers, Sad Dads, School Disco, Ladylike, DLD, Safety Jacket, Pencil
The Brunswick / Off Axis Presents 
Adam Hopper, Alex Apolline, Charlie Austen, Cortnë, Dakota Avenue, Dubinski, Fond Of Rudy, Foreign Mornings, Forgetting The Future, ĠENN, Madman State, Mima Merrow, Miro Shot, Nixon Tate, Sara Rae, The Northern Threads, WondRWomN, Work In TV
Brighton Youth Centre / Secretly ROM 
Ciel, Big Special, Billy Sullivan, Personal Trainer, Sun June, Caleb Elliot, The Tubs, Arcadia, Joe Probert

Friday 12th May
Arcobaleno / Kick Out The Jams x The Songbird HQ x Bubblebrain Records 
Jean Genie’s Massive Hugs, Aerial Salad, Tom Saint, Martha Makes Mistakes, SONS, Soaked, London Ghost, Kill, The Icon!, The Red Stains, School Disco, RETROPxSSY
Easy Tiger / The Escaped 
Comforts, Swum, The Daylight
Caravanserai Luna Park / Acid Box / Abyss Superfuzz Weekender 
L’*cl**r, ILL Considered, K*rm* Sh**n, J*p*n*s* T*l***s**n, H***h
White Rabbit / Acid Box / Abyss Superfuzz Weekender 
Secret Guest, School Disco
Hotel Pelirocco / Soundway Records 
Folklore Rooms / Alt Alt Escape 
Hayfitz, Neev, Soophie Jameson, Sorcha Richardson, Jacko Hooper, Juanita Stein, Joseph Lawrence, Edie Bens, Emily Roberts, Somoh, Nierra Creek, King Isis, Thala, RVG, The Leavning, Yabba
Detour Vintage / H8 ESC STREET PARTY 1 
Unhang, Lenf / Gurf, really Big really CLEVER, Credentials, Shark Stuff, Nine Dead Mice
St Nicholas Church / Alt Alt Escape 
Cubzoa, growing boi, hollow hand, Fred Hills trio, Scarlett fae, Sock drawer, Night House, the leaning, Yumi and the weather, Jouis
Gladstone Hard of Hearing Magazine x Slack City
Platonica Erotica, Bingo Fury, Max Fulcrum & The Win, Kyoto Kyoto, Hank, Alien Chicks
The Hope & Ruin / No Friends in the Industry: LTN’s unofficial TGE party 
Blue Bendy, Butch Kassidy, Shelf Lives, Loose Articles, Welly
Fiddlers Elbow / No Friends in the Industry: LTN’s unofficial TGE party 
Delivery, CIVIC, Maruja
Grand Central / Fierce Panda & End Of The Trail 
Josh Luck, Hugmynd, Bag of Cans, Enjoyable Listens, Jekyll, Big Special, Albert Gold, China Bears, PABST, Gulz, Rowsie, Alibi, Pearll, Lazy Queen, Signature Gold, Eville
Sidewinder / Scruff of the Neck x Believe
1Up / Cntrl Alt Escape 
Love Always SKM, Nature TV, Martha Eve, Isla Rico, Ochre, Johnny Ecclestone, Adam Scott Glasspole
Pipeline / In The Pipeline 
Public Body, Humour, University, Delivery, Trout, Baby Vanga
Unbarred brewery  /Joy x Unbarred party (sign up for tickets) 
Headline TBA, Teeth Machine, pinkpirate, Antony Szmierek, HEIGHTS, Modern Woman, Elanor Moss, Girl Scout, Lip Filler
Black Lion / Smithereen Takeover 
Briskin, Sean Nicholas Savage, The Leaning, Alien Tango, Love for the Peaches, Ruti
Mesmerist / Smithereen Takeover 
Jack Boyd, Alice Auer, Cortney Dixon, Vacations, Woodruff, Secret Act, Ula, Eyelar, Frozemode, Will & The People, Flat Party, Mothers Boy
Post House / Smithereen Takeover
Secret Act, Olivia Stevens, The Taylor Twins, Hattie Chandler, Chris Simmons, Liam Cromby, Izzie Yardley, Leona, TJ Walker
Rossi Bar / DHP Family 
Hotwax, Antony Szmierek, UNIVERSITY, Mary in the Junkyard, Mandy Indianana
Presuming Eds / the Greatest Cape / Collect Call
Bee and Jackrabbit, Bobby Smiles, Hollow Hand, Hypsoline, Comforts, Nature TV, Love for the Peaches, Giant Peach, Low Girl, Collect Call, The Leaning
Bella Union Shop Instores 
Sophie Jameson 4pm

Saturday 13th May
Mucky Duck / Rockbox Advertising 
Friend of Frankie, Nadia Sheik, Abbey Moon, Great Gable, HCK9, Ulysses Wells
Arcobeleno / Kick Out The Jams x The Songbird HQ x Bubblebrain Records 
Adult Trauma, Sunday Club, Low Girl, Scrounge, Breakup Haircut, The Gulps, Cavalcade, Vixey, F.O.E.S, Cross Wires, DAAY, The Novus, YUKE, Sarpa Salpa
The Rosehill / Fake escape 3pm-midnight Fake Escape Festival 2023 — The Rose Hill
White Rabbit / Acid Box / Abyss Superfuzz Weekender 
Delivery, Hollow Hand, Trip Westerns, Frank & Beans, The Gluts, Tinman
Pipeline / Beth Shalom Records showcase (paid) 
Regal Cheer, Lakes, Sleemo, Bleak Soul
Detour Vintage H8 ESC STREET PARTY 2 
Staff Party, Human Leather, Mullholland, Regal Cheer, shunTA, Fjango Chutney
Gladstone / Slackscape (sign up for tickets) 
Cubzoa, Canned Pineapple, Welly, Public Body, Yumi & The Weather, Loose Articles
The Hope & Ruin / No Friends in the Industry: LTN’s unofficial TGE party 
A Fungus, Personal Trainer, Hollow Hand, Cyst, Ciel, Tummyache
Fiddlers Elbow / No Friends in the Industry: LTN’s unofficial TGE party 
YOWL, BABii, DITZ, Secret!, HOT FACE
Folklore Rooms / End Of The Trail
Holly Henderson, Fergus, Jekyll, Sarpa Salpa, Haig, Low Girl, Ruby Cross, Hollows, Family Jools, Dan Ottewell, Heavy Salad, Weekend Recovery, Part Time Animals, Chavez Cartel, Ratoon, Enjoyable Listens, Mango in Euphoria, The Lotts
Sidewinder / Scruff of the Neck x Believe 
Rossi Bar / STONED & STARVING #13 ALT ALT ESCAPE SPECIAL 
ELLiS·D, Max Fulcrum & The Win, The DSM IV, Flip Top Head, LibraLibra, Electric Cowboy Club, Teenage Sequence, Really Big Really Clever, Play Dead, Moon Idle
Black Lion / Smithereen Takeover
Girl Band, Owners Club, Canned Pineapple, Well, Moonlight Parade, The Kairos, Secret Act, James Walsh (starsailor), Secret Act x 4
Mesmerist / Smithereen Takeover 
Max White, Sarah Collins & Friends, Great Gable, Libra Libra, Ski Lift, Nadia Sheikh, Barbara, Germein, Rilas Edge, Secret Act x 3
Post House / Smithereen Takeover 
Georgia Mooney, Outline, Thomas Ashby, Rob Vincent, Matt Owens (Noah & The Whale), Anni Pohto, Jacko Hooper, Lydia Clowes, Aimee Moody
Presuming / Eds the Greatest Cape / Collect Call 
NightHouse, Cephos Powders, Fearn, Jason Nolan, Hilang Child, Single Ruin, Maximilian, Lifter, Harper, Nagasaki Dog, Seek Warmth
Shortts / Heavenly Recordings x Speedy Wunderground 
Revival Season, Miss Tiny
Freemasons / The Beluga Escape 
Fragile Creatures, Laurence Kingston & The Above, Sanistation, The Loose Fits, Mudcoffee
Bella Union Shop Instores 
Cubzoa 2pm
Rybka / Clunk-A-Bonanza 
School Disco, Trip Westerns, Stanford Family Band, Ochre, Ladylike

*I say all, but there’s almost definitely other stuff going on that has passed me by – if you hear of anything that I don’t have drop me a line and I’ll get it added