How Could We Have Done Anything But Smash It at The Great Escape?

You already know what time it is. But in case you don't, rewind, let us tell you: festival season is here, and as always in the UK it's been kicked off by The Great Escape in Brighton. A place of sand, sea, seagulls, and shit loads of music, it is a one-of-a-kind festival, rivalled by no one, because there is no other event that takes place in a historical, culturally rich, LGBT friendly, amazing seaside town.

Sure, there are the infamous stag and hen-dos, winding their way down side streets or zip-lining across the pier in depressing pink T-shirts. But aside from that lot, the town, for one weekend, is packed with independent bands, hot-up-and-comers, a lot of Super Hans lookalikes, a smattering of big name acts and, of course, the famous Noisey Stage. Don't worry if you weren't there – our photographer Jake Lewis was, snapping the shit out of the acts and the crowd and risking his body temperature to bring back these photos in order for you, the reader, to experience all the sweat via osmosis.

Brit School alumni Jaz Karis kicked off this year's event, coming through with smooth jazz-by-way-of-soul-and-all-of-the-other-good-shit. Next up: London rapper Kofi Stone. Then things reached a level. Ebenezer smashed it. Octavian smashed it. And then, last of all, slowthai - whose Northampton guide we recently published – rolled through, whipped off his shirt, stood in the crowd and stirred it all up.

Look on below, then think about coming next year and get an Airbnb booked ahead of time so you don't sleep on the beach.

You can find Ryan on Twitter and Jake on Instagram.