New Zealand will be the focus country at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton for the first time when the New Zealand Music Commission and Live Nation New Zealand will showcase 10 Kiwi rising stars taking over the Patterns venue on Thursday 14th May.
New Zealand has spawned many global success stories across several decades including Lorde, Neil Finn, Ladyhawke, Alien Weaponry, The Naked & Famous and Flight of The Conchords.
Alan Holt from the New Zealand Music Commission says: “I am thrilled for New Zealand to be the lead country at The Great Escape this year. The festival has always been a significant part of the New Zealand Music Commission’s international activities and has consistently been a joy to attend both from a networking /showcasing perspective, and as a place to experience fantastic music.
“Over the past few years, we have proudly supported artists like Aldous Harding, The Beths, DARTZ, LEISURE, NO CIGAR and Teeks — to name just a handful — and this year we along with Live Nation New Zealand look forward to introducing the world to a new and sparkling collection of some of the best new music NZ has to offer”.
Live Nation New Zealand’s Mark Kneebone adds: “We’re stoked to be teaming up with the NZ Music Commission for the 20th anniversary of the Great Escape festival. Live Nation is about more than just putting on shows – it’s about being a genuine part of the local scene and helping our artists break through on the world stage. This partnership is a massive opportunity to give Kiwi talent a global platform, while also bringing that international energy back home to keep the local industry inspired and growing.”
The 10 chosen artists to perform are:
- Singer songwriter Luca George who has accumulated more than six million streams, The track “Better Apart” received support from BBC Radio 1 and playlisting on Spotify and Apple Music. Debut EP “You’ll Never Know Me Sober” has amassed millions of streams. Troye Sivan hand-picked Luca as the only New Zealand artist chosen to take part in the APRA song-writing camp that he personally curated last year. Luca has recently supported Peach PRC, Callum Scott and Harper Finn.
- Vera Ellen relocated to L.A. where she started the band Girl Friday. In early 2020, Vera moved back to New Zealand to finish her solo album, “It’s Your Birthday”. The 2023 follow-up album, “Ideal Home Noise” reached #7 on the Official NZ Top 20 Album Charts. As well as many shows around her home country, Vera has also toured with her band around the world, inlcluding a 14-date tour of China, sold out run of shows in Australia supporting Crowded House, and SXSW – both Austin, Texas and Sydney editions.
- A boy fled Iraq in the arms of his mother when he was just two years old. Their journey took them through Moscow before finally arriving in New Zealand, where Zaidoon Nasir embraced video games and US hip hop, and eventually found his voice through art and music. That voice became artist and producer WHO SHOT SCOTT? Over five EPs, he has crafted a genre-blurring sound; part alternative hip-hop, part punk energy, part electronic experimentation. He has opened for genre heavyweights Snoop Dogg and Yung Gravy, and now prepares to release his debut album in June.
- LEAO is a Samoan musical project formed of guitarist/vocalist David Feauai-Afaese, bassist Navakatoa Tekela-Pule, steel guitarist Levi Gemmell and drummer Rāhana Tito-Taylor. With a deep adoration for the Pacific musical reference, creating what some have called ‘Pacific neo psychedelia” music. LEAO has continued to expand and experiment upon its vision of Samoan music.
- Hemi Hemingway nods to 60’s rock, 50s sheen and 80’s romanticism into the present day, refurbishing and refashioning them into something new and fresh. Having played around in other bands for a number of years, Shaun Blackwell eventually took the plunge, and, with the help of a four-track recorder, launched a solo project. To do that, he stepped into the shoes of Hemi Hemingway, stage persona and Blackwell’s alter ego. Hemi introduced himself with 2021’s “The Lonely Hunter” EP, which led to a couple of sold-out London shows and support slots for Kurt Vile and Night Beats.
He released debut album “Strangers Again” in 2023 and now in 2026 his sophomore album, “Wings Of Desire” that grapples with the end of a long-term relationship and a relocation from London to New Zealand. “Wings of Desire” combines the romantic ’50s and ’60s influences that are familiar to Hemi Hemingway with a newfound obsession with Gothy ’80s post-punk and New Romantic. “It’s absolutely brilliant”, says Stuart Maconie on BBC Radio 6 Music.
- Jude Kelly is an Independent singer-songwriter who has branched out from her foundation in soulful pop, incorporating Western/Americana and folk elements to create a refined soundscape. Raised by two pastors, Jude spent her childhood as a nationally renowned speed skater, aerobic national champion, and dancer. Jude moved out of her parent’s home at 15 years old and put herself through university where she earned a degree in oceanography. In May 2025, Jude released her debut EP “The Seven Spirits of Her”. She has had recent supports for Sienna Spiro in Australia, Freak Slug, and Lewis Capaldi’s NZ Arena Tour. FFO: Lana Del Rey and Florence & The Machine.
- Alternative rock band Office Dog is made up of singer-songwriter Kane Strang (vocals/guitar), Rassani Tolovaa (bass) and Mitchell Innes (drums). Debut album, “Spiel” was released by New West Records in early 2024. The band followed this quickly with 7-track EP “Doggerland”, released in September 2024. Following this Office Dog performed 16 shows across America, supporting indie legends and New West Records label mates Nada Surf. Currently working on their sophomore album.
- Ratbag is 23-year-old Sophie Brown. Stirring together elements of punk, shoegaze, art-pop, electronica and new wave.
- Ringlets, the bright post-punk quartet emerged in 2021, releasing their eponymous debut via Mutual Skies. in autumn 2024. In 2025 their sophomore offering was out, “The Lord Is My German Shepherd (Time for Walkies)”, mixed at Abbey Road Studios. Their first Australian tour culminated in eight sold-out shows.
- Muroki: With a string of super-chilled bangers under his belt including the platinum hit, “Wavy”, Raglan’s Muroki is delivering on the promise that saw his self-released debut picked up by Benee and played by Elton John on his Rocket Hour radio show back in 2020. Signing to Benee’s Olive Records label, Muroki released the “Dawn” EP in 2021. Muroki’s second EP “Heading East” came out in 2022. The “Timezones” EP featured a new collaboration with Benee, the infectious “Love Cocoon”, and the EP took an overtly funky turn through its seven tracks, which Muroki termed his “black soul” record.
Vera Ellen photo by Nicola Sandford
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