TO PRESENT CATALAN SOUNDS

• EARLY BIRD RATES FOR FESTIVAL AND DELEGATE TICKET BUYERS
• BRIGHTON HOTEL AND HOSTEL PACKAGES AVAILABLE
• ARTIST REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

The Great Escape is delighted to announce the Insititut Ramon Llull as its lead international partner for the 2012 festival in Brighton, presenting Catalan Sounds – music from Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. From Barcelona to the Mediterranean islands, Catalan territories are a hot-bed of new music, both live and recorded. 

Previous international partners at the festival, such as Ireland (2011), New Zealand (2009), France (2007) and Canada (2006), have seen new artists and musicians from across the world come to the attention of the varied and influential audience at The Great Escape.

Vicenç Villatoro, director of the Institut Ramon Llull (IRL), said: "The IRL is very proud to strengthen its relationship with The Great Escape by supporting the participation of eight bands from Catalonia and The Balearic Islands at 2012's festival. Through this collaboration, the IRL will promote the quality of Catalan music internationally, enriching the festival programme with the talent of these artists.” 

TGE Operations Manager, Kat Morris said: “There’s a real hub of extraordinary music coming out of Catalonia at the moment, so we’re delighted to be giving the bands an opportunity to reach The Great Escape audience. We pride ourselves on showcasing new artists from every corner of the globe and working closely with arts groups, such as the IRL, allows us to select the bands on the cusp of doing great things”. 

The Great Escape has welcomed many Catalan bands and artists in previous years such as Manel and Cuchillio in 2009, Mujeres and John Talabot in 2010 and AIAS, Les Aus, and Mishima in 2011. 

Over the last six years The Great Escape has quickly established itself as an international platform for new talent. As well as showcasing the best new British artists and key UK music industry figures attending, bands and delegates fly from all over the world to be present, including from; Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain and the US.

Artists wishing to be considered for TGE 2012 should register via the TGE website HERE

The Great Escape will return to the bustling British seaside city of Brighton from the 10-12 May 2012, presenting festival-goers with over 300 new local and international artists across 30 different venues throughout the city. Running alongside this is the Great Escape Convention which hosts a variety of insightful industry talks, panel debates, targeted networking sessions and key note interviews for industry professionals and music business fans. 2011’s festival saw over 100 high-profile speakers with highlights including DJ Shadow in conversation, keynote speeches from producer Paul Epworth and BPI Chairman Tony Wadsworth and a whole day of events sponsored by PRS.

Previous years have seen a whole slew of now-famous acts cutting their teeth at The Great Escape. A few highlights include: Noah & The Whale, Tinie Tempah, Ellie Goulding, Chase and Status, Marina & The Diamonds, Mumford & Sons, Crystal Castles, Yeasayer, Vampire Weekend, Friendly Fires, , The Maccabees, Hurts, , Laura Marling, Adele, CSS, Kate Nash, Glasvegas, Ladyhawke, The Enemy, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Gossip, Klaxons, Mystery Jets, , Bon Iver, Wild Beasts, Ed Sheeran, Warpaint, SBTRKT, Raghu Dixit and The XX.

‘The Great Escape’s USP is new music, so for the real spirit of things, you are best off haunting the smaller venues.’The Guardian on Great Escape 2011

‘Brighton’s answer to South by South West Festival’The Independent on Great Escape 2011

THE GREAT ESCAPE FESTIVAL, BRIGHTON, WEST SUSSEX, UK, 10-12 MAY 2012
3-DAY FESTIVAL TICKETS (SUPER EARLY BIRD)  £35 (limited availability) 
3-DAY DELEGATE TICKETS (EARLY BIRD)             £120 (limited availability) 
For further ticketing information:click HERE

Artist Registration is now open and it's free to register HERE
Book the Industry Delegate Hotel for the Weekend HERE 
Book Festival Accommodation for the weekend HERE