Music
Review
The Great Escape 2026, First Fifty review
From the sultry tones of Ava Joe to the head-banging Teenage Joans to polished electro-sisters SISTRA, here's our roundup of First Fifty
On 13 November 2025, fans gathered at venues across to see the “next big thing” in music as The Great Escape 2026 kicked off its First Fifty festival. An exciting time for new music, The Great Escape Festival has always championed emerging artists from around the world, and Ticketmaster New Music has become a growing part of that. Hosting showcases for First Fifty as well as stages at The Great Escape in Brighton, Ticketmaster New Music brought an array of artists to Oslo, Hackney, who we think you will definitely be hearing about more as their careers grow. Here’s how it went:
Teenage Joans
First up was Australian pop-punk duo Teenage Joans, whom I had met before their show while they were taking promo photos on the floor outside the backstage bathrooms. The effortlessly cool and DIY energy translated to their soundcheck and live show, where Cahli (lead vocals, guitar) and Tahlia (drums, vocals) reminded the audience that they were “here to bring pop punk back!” Cruising through their setlist with the professionalism of seasoned veterans whilst maintaining the off-the-cuff spontaneity of a garage band – “we’re not industry plants at all because we don’t f*cking know what we’re doing” Cahli quipped to the crowd – there was the feeling that we were all witnessing something special.
Riot grrrls for the modern age, their music explored themes of heartbreak, growing up, being women in their 20s, finding their voices – all without compromising the head-banging volume we’ve come to know pop punk for. Cahli, dressed in Friday The 13th Jason jeans, and Tahlia, wearing a Matthew Lillard Scream T-shirt (an unintentional horror-themed match, I was later told by the band), performed tracks from their 2023 debut album, The Rot That Grows Inside My Chest, including crowd-favourite ‘Candy Apple’. Plus, their 2025 summer single ‘My Heart’s Dead!’, which incidentally had our hearts racing in the crowd. “It’s like Avril Lavigne but better,” I overheard in the audience. And I concur.
Ava Joe
Hot off her touring spot with Jalen Ngonda, and a beautiful set at All Points East, Ava Joe graced the stage of Oslo for Ticketmaster’s First Fifty showcase with a poised, classic flair. She’s an indie pop singer-songwriter with a quiet power but enchanting presence – most prominent during her soundcheck. Whilst her band, whom she affectionately calls “The Boys”, were playing with sound levels and chaotically trying to strike the right balance with the sound technicians (“you’re the goat! I love you!” her bassist exclaimed at the sound techs behind the scene), Ava Joe was calm and ready.
As was her vocal performance throughout her set. Her vibe was Diana Vickers-meets-Lana Del Rey, with the soulful cadence of Duffy. Ahead of performing her single ‘Black Smoke’, which was first released in 2024, Ava Joe took time to speak to the audience about her Ticketmaster First Fifty show was a full-circle moment. “I did my first ever show at Paper Dress Vintage a year ago, and now I’m here on Oslo.” ‘Black Smoke’ feels like the soundtrack of a chic Guy Ritchie film, and that is Ava Joe’s magic: timeless, emotive and classic.
SISTRA
Finally, electronic sister duo SISTRA close out the night with sleek choreo, ethereal vocal performances and a firm stance that if you blink you might miss something special. A conversation with a fan in the audience left me with the phrase “they’ve always been so polished”, describing SISTRA’s laser-focused performance style. And it rings true throughout their dazzling dance-fuelled set, as each song seamlessly blends into the next, and Olso almost feels too small for their mammoth stage presence. For fans of FKA Twigs or SOPHIE, or those who wished that The Veronicas leaned into a more experimental electronic sound, SISTRA is for you. Their outfits, coordinated. Their choreography, extraterrestrial. SISTRA will definitely be ones to watch at next year’s Great Escape in Brighton.
See Teenage Joans, Ava Joe, SISTRA and more at The Great Escape 2026 – find tickets here
