Six Australian bands will perform at the internationally renowned Great Escape Festival in the UK in early May with support from the Australia Council for the Arts.

The strong Australian line-up at the Great Escape Festival, with nine local bands appearing in total, includes Yves Klein Blue, The John Steel Singers, Lost Valentinos, I Heart Hiroshima, Cloud Control, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, British India, The Shiny Brights and The Temper Trap.

Six of the nine bands have shared a total of $51,000 in touring funds from the Australia Council for the Arts.

The bands will appear under the unified “Sounds Australia” brand, which was created earlier this year to raise the profile of Australian contemporary music around the world.

“These bands represent some of the best contemporary musical talent in the country and will create a strong Australian presence at the Great Escape,” said Sandra Bender, the Australia Council’s Executive Director of Market Development.

The Great Escape Festival is recognised as the leading music industry event in Europe for showcasing new talent from around the world, aimed at “export ready” bands and industry professionals. It takes place annually in Brighton.

More than 300 new local and international artists will perform in 34 venues across three days between 14 and 16 May, attracting over 10,000 people and 3000 industry professionals. A variety of industry talks, panel debates, targeted networking sessions and key note interviews run alongside the performance program.

“Sounds Australia received rave reviews when it was launched at the world’s biggest music showcase – the South by SouthWest Music Festival in the US. We’re now building the visibility of the brand, and of Australian bands, throughout the rest of the world,” Sandra Bender said.

“Sounds Australia” is an industry partnership between the Australia Council for the Arts, the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade), the Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) and other government and industry bodies.