For the first time ever, New Zealand will be the focus country at The Great Escape Festival in Brighton. The New Zealand Music Commission and Live Nation New Zealand are proud to present 10 Kiwi artists this year taking over the whole of Patterns. The event will take place 12pm – 4pm on Thursday 14th May.
New Zealand has had many global success stories over several decades including Lorde, Neil Finn, Ladyhawke, Alien Weaponry, The Naked & Famous and Flight of The Conchords to name but a few.
“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!”
ALAN HOLT – NEW ZEALAND MUSIC COMMISION
“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.” MARK KNEEBONE – MD OF LIVE NATION NEW ZEALAND
The artists so far announced to performing are as follows:
LUKA GEORGE: Singer songwriter Luca George has accumulated over 6 million total artist streams, and is generating a social audience of over 72,000 followers with 1 million listeners, including 50k on TikTok. ‘Better Apart’ received support from BBC Radio 1 Future Pop, The Hot Hits AU and playlisting on Spotify and Apple Music. ‘Crying In The Bathroom’ has been supported on three major radio networks in NZ, those being The Edge , ZM and More FM. ‘brOKen’ was added to Student Music Network (reaching 400,000+ listeners across 50 UK campuses),and support on Q Radio Northern Ireland. The debut EP ‘You’ll Never Know Me Sober’ has amassed millions of streams, with the single ‘Suit Of Blue’ receiving a nomination at the APRA 2024 Silver Scroll Awards (NZ). 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 and Rolling Stone magazine named Luca one of the Future 25 this year. Luca has recently supported Peach PRC, Callum Scott and Harper Finn.
VERA ELLEN: Vera Ellen was born and raised in Naenae in Te Whanganui-A-Tara/Wellington. She spent her younger years playing and writing music, her first song written at age 8. Whilst living in Aotearoa, she played in bands such as grunge 4-piece Maple Syrup and Sweater. Vera relocated to Los Angeles, where she started the band Girl Friday, whose music debuted on indie giant Sub Pop’s sub-label, Hardly Art. In early 2020, Vera moved back to Aotearoa during the pandemic, leading to her finishing her solo album, It’s Your Birthday — released on Flying Nun Records in October 2021. This album saw Vera named ‘Best Alternative Artist’ at the 2022 Aotearoa Music Awards. The 2023 follow-up album, Ideal Home Noise was a record unearthed from much introspection and aN attempt to find some comedy and lightness in an otherwise dark period for Vera Ellen. With two “voices” battling throughout the album, the instrumentation is sometimes light — featuring synths and electronic drums — and sometimes heavy — with ballad-like piano and raw vocals. Vera’s momentum was unstoppable with her last 13 track album reaching all corners of the world. Vera has had multiple tracks featured in the NZ Official Alt Charts, with her single ‘Carpenter’ spending 4 weeks in the charts, peaking at #1 and 2022’s standalone single ‘Homewrecker’, spending 14 weeks in the charts, peaking at #8. Upon release, 2023’s Ideal Home Noise reached #7 on the Official NZ Top 20 Album Charts. Internationally, Vera’s music has reached as far as Australia, France, USA and the UK, with a write-up in France’s national newspaper Le Monde, a feature in Loud & Quiet Magazine (UK), Ideal Home Noise was also named #3 in Rolling Stone’s “Top NZ albums of 2023”. In the USA, Vera’s 2023 album charted #55 on the NACC Radio 200 Chart, and scored Top 30 Support from nearly 30 stations & picked support from 26 other stations. As well as many shows around her home country of New Zealand, including the 2025 Laneway Festival, Vera has also toured with her band around the world; a 14-date exploratory tour of China, a sold out run of shows in Australia in support of Crowded House, and visits to New Colossus Festival and SXSW (both Austin and Sydney editions)
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WHO SHOT SCOTT? 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 would grow up navigating the dualities of life between cultures. Settling in Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau, he embraced video games and US hip hop like so many of his new peers.
Little did he know that within that sense of belonging he would also be confronted with what it meant to be different – in skin, in hair, in heritage. A truth that would eventually drive him to find his voice through art and music. That voice became WHO SHOT SCOTT, an artist and music producer unafraid to fuse raw vulnerability with sonic explosivity. Over five EPs, he has crafted a fearless, genre-blurring sound, part alternative hip-hop, part punk energy, part electronic experimentation, celebrated internationally for its “filthy and frantic” urgency and emotional depth. Rolling Stone Australia named him one of the Top 8 New Zealand artists tipped to take over, truly cementing his reputation as a disruptive new force in the scene. His single ‘LONERS ANTHEM’ spent four weeks at #1 on the NZ College Radio Network charts and was voted the most beloved track of 2022. His work has been playlisted by MTV and streaming editorials, synced across television, gaming, and advertising, and championed by radio throughout New Zealand, Australia, the US, UK, and Europe. EPs ‘MERCY III’ and ‘BRAIN (SIDE A)’ both broke into the North American College Radio charts, expanding his reach even further and exemplifying the fact that his stories are felt universally.
Recent milestones include two APRA Silver Scroll award nominations, an international sync in the trailer for Borderlands 4, and a successful Japan tour. He has opened for genre heavyweights Snoop Dogg and Yung Gravy, performed at WOMAD, Rhythm & Vines, Soundsplash, SXSW Sydney, BIGSOUND, and Music Matters Singapore. With over 300,000 monthly Spotify listeners and a dedicated cult following across the US, Canada, Central Europe, UK, and Australia, WHO SHOT SCOTT continues to build momentum as one of Aotearoa’s most dynamic voices. Now, as he prepares to release his long-awaited debut album HAIRY on 5 June, WHO SHOT SCOTT steps into his most defining chapter yet. A deeply personal body of work, HAIRY confronts the experiences of otherness, bullying, and cultural displacement that shaped his adolescence, transforming them into a bold reclamation of identity and self-worth. With a slate of new music lined up for 2026 and his first UK shows on the horizon, WHO SHOT SCOTT stands firmly on an upward trajectory. Every song carries the weight of his journey, turning past shame into pride, alienation into human connection, and pain into power.
LEAO: Formed from a Pacific heart, LEAO is a Samoan musical project formed up 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 and a desire to contribute contemporary musical ideas, LEAO synthesises non-traditional tonalities with a fa’asamoa spirit, creating what some have called ‘niu wave’ and ‘Pacific neo psychedelia” music. A creative enigma and phenomenal live act known for their effortless play between the high-octane and the emotionally lush, LEAO has continued to expand and experiment upon its vision of Samoan music. In 2024, following NZ shows supporting prolific Tuareg Blues band Tinariwen, the Pacific outfit released long-awaited new music in the form of double single TAEAO / MEA UMA. Two unique singles, recorded at Roundhead Studios, that saw the band enchantingly incorporate unaccustomed sounds of New Wave and Psychedelia into the wider Pacific music reference. Since its humble beginnings, LEAO has been a project of cultural celebration, celebrating Pacific music as well as Pacific diasporic realities. As the year 2026 comes into it’s spring, the band is ready to step further into creative potentialities and bare proudly their ever-deepening commitment to contemporary Pacific sound with the release of a new full-length album.
HEMI HEMINGWAY: With the rock’n’roll panache of a dive bar matador and the emotional force of a knife in the guts, Hemi Hemingway makes music that thrills, spills and breaks hearts. The effortlessly slick New Zealand star has a connoisseur’s ear for the finest parts of musical history, sweeping 60’s rock, 50s sheen and 80’s romanticism into the present day, refurbishing and refashioning them into something new and fresh. At home in the spotlight, he’s a showman in the best troubadour traditions, but one with real depth, showcasing swagger and vulnerability in equal measure. Having played around in other bands in the darker waters of the music scene 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, the character that breathes life into the songs. Hemi introduced himself to the world with 2021’s The Lonely Hunter EP, six songs of lush, 60’s-inspired classical pop. That EP was picked up by KEXP and led to a couple of sold-out London shows at the Moth Club and the Shacklewell Arms, and support slots for Kurt Vile and Night Beats. He released his 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, Hemingway’s songwriting began to explore the possibilities of a new, uncertain future. 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. Stuart Maconie, Radcliffe & Maconie on BBC Radio 6 Music
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JUDE KELLY: This Aotearoa / New Zealand-based independent singer-songwriter is equipped with the confidence of an artist who has honed her craft. Her sonic world, praised by Rolling Stone AU/NZ as “an intoxicating and brooding reflection on the magnetic pull of chaos”, branches out from her foundation in soulful pop, incorporating Western/Americana and folk elements to create a refined soundscape that is uniquely her own. Never defined by her circumstances, Jude was the youngest of 5 kids, raised by two pastors in Dunedin. Always independent, 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. Judah experienced a lifetime of love, loss, growth, accomplishment and resilience, all before the age of 20. Through it all she was writing songs. In May 2025, Jude released her debut EP ‘The Seven Spirits of Her’ – a seven song project that chronicles a coming of age story. With each song embodying a character, the collection speaks to the complexity and depth of what makes a person, or more specifically, a woman. The release of TSSOH was highly praised and received by New Zealand and internationally. With multiple tracks playlisted on global Spotify and Apple playlists, including one by Ryan Schreiber, founder of Pitchfork. Jude’s songs and interviews are heard across Radio New Zealand, ZM, The Edge, Triple J, and student radios, and praised by a variety of media, noteworthy features, M2 Woman, MILKY, and Rollingstone AU/NZ. Along with her sold-out Auckland EP release show, Rhythm and Vines Festival Set, recent support for Sienna Spiro in Australia, Freak Slug, and Lewis Capaldi’s NZ Arena Tour; Jude is undoubtedly making her presence felt. This year Jude will release a new EP. With a distinct voice and authentic charm, Jude’s music is a refreshing take on timeless songwriting driven by emotive vocals and poetic lyricism, reminiscent of lane-paving contemporaries like Lana Del Rey and Florence & The Machine.
OFFICE DOG: is an alternative rock band made up of singer-songwriter Kane Strang (vocals/guitar), Rassani Tolovaa (bass) and Mitchell Innes (drums). Although all originally from Ōtepoti/Dunedin, the three piece began writing together in 2021 after all moving to Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland. Songs that were formed in hired church basements and rearranged lounges eventually became the band’s debut album, Spiel. The album was recorded at Roundhead Studios and released on Flying Nun Records in 2023 in Australia and New Zealand 2023 and then internationally released by New West Records in early 2024. Pitchfork called it “an album about the joy of playing together” and singles such as Big Air gained significant international attention. The band followed this quickly with a 7-track EP called Doggerland, which was a more textured and experimental collection of songs released in September 2024. Paste Magazine said of the release: “cathartic and bare-boned, it airs out the grievances and struggles that come with almost losing oneself, and steps forward into the future”. Following this Office Dog performed 16 shows across America, supporting indie legends and New West Records label mates Nada Surf. This included shows at some of the country’s most revered venues, such as Webster Hall in New York City, The Great American Music Hall in San Francisco and The Troubadour in Los Angeles. Currently, Office Dog are working on their sophomore album, which is due for release mid 2026.
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RATBAG: is 23-year-old Sophie Brown – a musician, a maker of worlds, and a multi-disciplinary enigma who slips between artforms curating her immersive visual and phonic world. Part alt-pop entity, part monster-maker, part shadow in the corner of your room, her universe is a visual diary unfolding in real time. It’s mysterious, raw, DIY, emotive, and fantastical. Where eerie isolated nature collides with outdated technology, music is made with wires tangled through forests and caves, and strange creatures lurk, brought into existence by ratbag’s own feral drawings. Stirring together elements of punk, shoegaze, art-pop, electronica and new wave into one bizarre, thrilling musical concoction, ratbag is everything you’ve ever known, but nothing you’ve ever heard. With each song, post, show, livestream and drawing, ratbag opens a window into her boundless world, as she crafts in real-time, piece by piece, always evolving in front of you.
RINGLETS: The ragingly bright post-punk quartet emerged from Aotearoa’smusical ether in 2021; carving out space with their distinct blend ofdelicate wit, grit and evident sonic technicality. With a highly durable, machine-tested rhythm section and two of Auckland’s leading lyrical & melodic consultants, Ringlets have been fast-building a solid reputation. Catching the eye of former Pitchfork editor Chris Ott, Autumn 2023 saw the band release their eponymous debut under Ott’s label Mutual Skies. Produced by De Stevens (Office Dog, Erny Belle) and the band themselves, the 10-track album is a sporadic and riotous introduction to this exciting musical offering. Cut to 2025, and few post-punk records from Aotearoa would have been more anticipated this year than the band’s sophomore offeringThe Lord Is My German Shepherd (Time for Walkies), which saw the four-piece return to The Lab with Olly Harmerand usher in MichaelLogie (The Mint Chicks) to produce alongside. Mixed later at Abbey Road Studios by Isaac Keating, the result is a collection of songsmore cohesive and controlled-yet constantly changing and re-composing itself, totally deserving of the ‘Flying Nun Records’ alumniposition it’s earned them. With their first Australian tour culminating in 8 sold-out shows, an appearance at BIGSOUND Festival, and a stacked lineup of summer festival appearances coming up Rhythm & Vines,Twisted Frequency & Laneway Festival, Ringlets are continuing to quietly climb the ranks of Aotearoa’s Alternative with their penchant for punk and off-the-leash expression.
“Ringlets are the most exciting post-bunk band to emerge from the New Zealand music scene in years.” Conor Lochrie, Rolling Stone Magazine ANZ
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 which included the notable Wavy, a song that hovered around the top of the charts on Spotify, radio and Shazam on both sides of the Tasman. Muroki’s second EP came in 2022. Heading East featured the dancefloor heater Find Me and another tasty selection of roots pop. He headed out on two tours to Australia, performances in LA and Berlin, two more national tours of Aotearoa and numerous festival appearances, ending 2022 joining Jack Johnson and his band on stage in Auckland to jam Wavy with the Hawaiian based superstar.
After his international travels, 2023 saw Muroki release the singles Sweet Lime and Watching Movies, both written and recorded in sessions in New York and Berlin.
He returned to Australia to play another tour and then prepared for his next release, the Timezones EP. Timezones 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. Love Cocoon topped the Triple J playlist in January and Muroki returned to Australia to record that song live for the station along with a stunning take on Tame Impala’s Borderline for Triple J’s legendary Like A version slot. Muroki blends his Kenyan and Coromandel roots into a brew that feels distinctly mixed in Raglan, the home town he mostly strongly identifies his music with – its sunbaked, sleepy seaside intimacy and pounding surf a defining backdrop to this 22 year old’s sound.
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ABOUT THE NZ MUSIC COMMISSION
The New Zealand Music Commission is a Government-funded agency committed to growing the NZ music business. The Commission undertakes projects and partnerships aimed at exporting NZ music and assisting music businesses in working internationally.
