By Culture Staff

Copyright independent

The Independent can unveil the lineup for its First Fifty stage in November, as part of its continuing partnership with The Great Escape Festival.

Taking place across eight venues in east London, First Fifty introduces the first wave of artists confirmed to play The Great Escape next May.

The Independent, which serves as the festival’s exclusive news partner, is hosting a showcase at Folklore in London on Thursday 13 November.

The concert will be headlined by fast-rising soul artist James Emmanuel, who began pursuing music with encouragement from his late father, a Nigerian preacher.

Much of his music is inspired by the challenges he has overcome, including travelling to the UK on his own, where he worked in Edinburgh as a cleaner in a sports bar until his career began to take off and he was signed to Decca Records.

The news comes as Emmanuel releases his brand new single, “Healing”; his debut EP A Time to Heal will be released on 22 October.

“It’s the story of a boy from Nigeria who arrived with a dream and found a home,” Emmanuel says. “Edinburgh will always be my blueprint for love, for community, for what a city can be. I carry her with me, in every note I sing.”

Emmanuel will be supported by the Dublin alt-folk six-piece Madras Salach, who release their debut single “Blue & Gold” this Thursday (18 September). The song was inspired by frontman Paul Banks’s reflections on a ritual from his early twenties.

“In the absence of any lucrative career path or generational wealth, I started habitually buying scratch cards in the hope of running into a small fortune in my early twenties,” he explains. “I usually opted for a €2 All Cash, a small ticket coloured blue and gold. My ‘get rich quick’ scheme proved unfruitful, but I did get a song out of it.”

Completing the lineup is neo-soul artist Ashaine White. Raised in London, she takes inspiration from vocalists such as Jeff Buckley and Donny Hathaway, as well as Nina Simone and Jimi Hendrix. Her latest EP, Look What You Made Me Do, was released in May this year.

Roisin O’Connor, Music Editor for The Independent, said: “I’m so thrilled that The Independent is partnering with The Great Escape Festival for the fourth consecutive year, and that we are able to unveil such a brilliant lineup for our First Fifty show this November.

“Here at The Independent, we pride ourselves on our coverage of new and emerging artists, championing musicians we believe in from day one and hopefully introducing them to some new fans. The Great Escape share this ethos and have helped us curate a fantastic stage ahead of the main festival in 2026. See you there!”

Rory Bett, CEO of MAMA Festivals and VIP Nation Europe, said: “We’re excited to continue our partnership with The Independent as our exclusive news partner for The Great Escape 2026. Its dedication to championing new music aligns perfectly with our mission to showcase the best emerging talent from around the world.”

Tickets to the gig go on general sale at 10am on Friday 19 September. Music fans have the option to donate to The Great Escape’s lead charity partner for 2026, suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably.

The Great Escape Festival takes place next year in Brighton between 13 to 16 May.