BRIT AWARDS 2026: FROM CEREMONY TO AFTERPARTY
Manchester hosted the BRIT Awards for the first time, but the night belonged to the performances. Harry Styles opened the show with his first live set since 2023, Rosalía brought Björk onstage for Berghain, Dua Lipa made a surprise entrance suspended from a mirrored disco ball, and Mark Ronson was recognised for his contribution to music before the ceremony closed with a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne and gave way to a 24-hour afterparty.
image via @oliviadeano
The BRIT Awards were held in Manchester for the first time in 2026, taking place at Co-op Live. Harry Styles opened the ceremony with his first live performance since 2023, debuting Aperture from his forthcoming album Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally. The arena dropped to black before the first note, then opened into choreography with dancers moving in joyful concentric circles around him, setting the tone for the rest of the night.
Olivia Dean won big, going on to scoop Artist of the Year, Mastercard Album of the Year for The Art of Loving, and Pop Act, emerging as the most awarded artist of the night. Sam Fender received Song of the Year for Rein Me In featuring Dean, while Lola Young was named Breakthrough Artist. Additional winners included Dave, SAULT, and Wolf Alice across the genre categories.
One of the night’s most intense performances came from ROSALÍA, who leaned fully into rave culture, building her set around hard-edged electronic production. As she moved into Berghain, joined by Björk in an unannounced appearance, she and her dancers pushed the choreography into something feral and relentless, tapping directly into underground club energy.
image via @therollingstone
Dua Lipa had her own moment too, arriving suspended from a mirrored disco ball before transitioning into a tightly choreographed set staged on an elevated platform. Her appearance also intersected with Mark Ronson’s Outstanding Contribution to Music segment, recalling their past collaborations on tracks like Electricity and Dance the Night Away, and highlighting her role as both performer, creative partner, and the ultimate pop princess on the night.
RAYE performed a medley of WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! and Nightingale Lane, showcasing material from her forthcoming album This Music May Contain Hope, including the chart-topping WHERE IS MY HUSBAND! which is her second UK No.1 single. RAYE entered the BRITs as a multi-award winner, having already secured seven Brit Awards over her career, including a record-breaking six wins at the 2024 ceremony.
Sombr made a dramatic first appearance at the awards, incorporating a staged interruption into the performance. A ‘gatecrasher’ wearing merchandise for his new single Homewrecker entered the set before the disruption revealed itself as part of the production, briefly unsettling the broadcast.
Mark Ronson received the Outstanding Contribution to Music award and performed Valerie, acknowledging his collaboration with Amy Winehouse. In a separate tribute segment honouring the late Ozzy Osbourne, Robbie Williams performed No More Tears alongside Adam Wakeman, Robert Trujillo, Tommy Clufetos, and Zakk Wylde, bringing a heavier note to the arena.
Getty Images for Warner Music & Hennessy Brit Awards After Party
Audi served as the official car partner for the evening, managing artist transport throughout Manchester, including arrivals to the Warner Music x Hennessy afterparty at The Cut & Craft Manchester. The venue was reworked around a five-metre poodle installation, immersive L-Acoustics sound design, and club-inspired interiors. Robotics company 1X partnered with Warner Music, with humanoid figures greeting guests on arrival and appearing along the red carpet.
Inside, Groove Armada, Kim Turnbull, and Gjin Lipa provided the soundtrack upstairs while Manchester collective Suns of Acid took over the basement. Guests from fashion, film, media, and modelling— not exclusively music— included Jeff Goldblum, Harris Dickinson, Katie Grand and Tabitha Simmons, alongside Damian Hurley, Gene Gallagher, and model Vincent Rockins, with artists moving between the ceremony and the after-hours circuit. Naturally, Hennessy cocktails flowed throughout the night, from Paradis to the Henny-Rita and Hennessy X.O Espresso Martinis, served with Manchester-inspired canapés beneath illuminated bottle displays, and this continued late into the night.
Getty Images for Warner Music & Hennessy Brit Awards After Party
