The excitement was almost tangible as The Great Escape kicked off yesterday as hordes of avid music fans flocked into Brighton.

Jubilee Square was one of just two venues open last night but it was still a blast, the other being the Beach Stage which hosted pop sensations Cowz, who put on a stellar show ahead of punk teens Noah and the Loners.

But it was Beach Stage closers Congratulations that ran away with it.

Gritty, grungy, fuzzy basslines and guitar riffs that could shatter ear drums. Vocal hooks to belt out while lobbing pints. Rowdy. And hopefully it sets a tone for things to come this weekend.

Elsewhere, fans were treated to a screening of The Right Here, Right Now (20 Years Of Big Beach), a documentary about Fatboy Slim’s infamous Big Beach Boutique II, a massive party on Brighton seafront which saw around 250,000 people descend on the city.

Tickets for the must-see screening and Q&A about Fatboy Slim’s film were snapped up in minutes.

READ MORE: Brighton Festival: The Argus reviews Yuanfan Yang at All Saints Church

A mixture of interviews with the rave-goers, plus old and unseen footage, the film promised to “take us back to a unique point in time”.

Fatboy, real name Norman, spoke candidly about the good, bad and ugly of that fateful day with the film’s director Jak Hutchcraft.

He has previously called it the “the last perfect rave”, and it had the audience hankering to go back and experience the late nineties/early noughties party scene.

Back in 2002, the thousands of punters doubled Brighton’s population at the time.

Norman was born in Bromley but now lives in Hove and considers himself a “Brighton boy” through and through.

“There's a kind of two-way love affair between me and the city of Brighton. But also there's a pride, I am very proud of this city,” said Norman.

Well let’s hope we can make you proud this weekend, Norman, as revellers once again take to the shores and venues across the city for the first full day of music.

Stay with us for all the latest across the week.