UK's Great Escape Festival to Feature Over 300 Artists

Starting today, over 300 bands will be packing up their beach towels and heading to the southern coast of England. The Great Escape, a massive music festival in Brighton, features an exhaustive lineup that spans the musical spectrum, from Ben Kweller to the Black Lips (and, you know, a whole bunch of other artists whose names don't begin with "b," etc.).

The massive festival, which the BBC refers to as "the U.K.'s answer to Austin's SXSW," has a lineup that puts some major U.S. Summer festivals to shame. Bicycling folkies Blind Pilot, ethereal shoegazers School of Seven Bells, punk three-piece the Vivian Girls, and post-punk legends Gang of Four are just a handful of the musical cornucopia that is the Great Escape's lineup. Other highlights include the Low Anthem, Crystal Antlers, Times New Viking, British Sea Power, and...well, you don't have to take our word for it. Check out the lineup here.

The three-day, 34-stage festival is jam-packed with concerts, obviously, but also features seminars, keynote speakers and band workshops.