Brit Awards head to Manchester as Global and top acts mount expanded live coverage
The 46th Brit Awards are taking place in Manchester, marking the first time the ceremony has been held outside London since its inception in 1977. The relocation has intensified media and artist activity ahead of the show, with Global’s radio brands mounting extensive live red carpet and backstage coverage.
Brit Awards move to Manchester for the 46th edition
Stars from pop and rock have gathered in Manchester ahead of the ceremony, which is the 46th edition of the awards and the first held outside London since 1977. The change of venue has already shaped logistics: rehearsals for headline appearances are being run behind closed doors at Manchester’s Co-Op Arena, with access restricted to essential staff. Raye arrives at the event with the prospect of winning her eighth and ninth Brit Awards.
Harry Styles to perform Aperture from Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally
Harry Styles will give the first live performance of music from his fourth album by appearing to perform Aperture, described as a clubby, hypnotic single from the forthcoming record Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally. It is three years since Styles last played at the Brits; his previous appearance saw him perform As It Was at the O2 Arena while wearing a spangly red suit jacket and later depart having taken four trophies, including album of the year. Details of this year’s performance have been kept secret because of the closed-door rehearsals at the Co-Op Arena, and Styles is also scheduled to appear in a sketch with host Jack Whitehall. Whitehall has said he had to send over a couple of ideas because the first few were inappropriate, and described one early concept in which he trekked for days to find Styles living in a hut, looking like Hagrid, and ended with him shaving Styles.
Olivia Dean and Lola Young lead nominations with five apiece
Two Londoners, Olivia Dean and Lola Young, lead the nominations with five apiece. Both had some of 2025’s best-selling singles — Olivia Dean with Man I Need and Lola Young with Messy — and those tracks could earn them Brit Awards. The shortlist is notably eclectic: Lily Allen’s break-up album West End Girl is recognised, songs from the movie musicals Wicked and KPop Demon Hunters feature, and Pulp has received a best group nomination. The best British artist category is particularly hard to call, with Olivia Dean, Lola Young, Lily Allen, Dave, Sam Fender and PinkPantheress all cited as deserving contenders. In recent years the ceremony produced repeat multi-winners — Harry Styles in 2023, Raye in 2024 and Charli XCX in 2025 — a pattern organisers and audiences appear to have tried to shake this year.
Global’s Capital, Heart and XTRA to broadcast live from the red carpet
Global has coordinated a push across its stations and digital brands that will put presenters at the centre of this year’s BRIT Awards coverage. Capital, Heart, Capital XTRA and Capital Buzz will broadcast live from the red carpet, speaking to nominees and winners as they arrive and capturing reaction throughout the night across radio, social and digital platforms. Presenters will also report from backstage and the winners’ room, with content distributed on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
Capital’s long-standing partnership and real-time programming
Capital continues its long-standing partnership with the BRIT Awards, sponsoring the Song of the Year with Mastercard supported by Capital category for nearly two decades. Jimmy Hill will host his Saturday show from 9am to 12pm live from Manchester, while Global’s showbiz team will report from Co-op Live. The live broadcast follows a week of build-up branded as Capital’s BRITs Winning Weekend. Heart’s showbiz correspondent Ashley Roberts will report live from the red carpet on Saturday afternoon before sharing backstage stories and after-party coverage on Heart Breakfast on Monday morning. Capital XTRA will focus on red carpet and backstage interviews, and Capital Anthems will air Best of the BRITs on Friday from 6pm, revisiting previous performances and winners.
James Rea, Global’s Chief Broadcasting and Content Officer, said: “The BRIT Awards is one of the biggest nights in music in the world and we’ll make sure Global’s audiences don’t just hear about, but get to experience every minute of this very special event!”
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Related radio and industry developments tied to the awards week
Several wider industry items are being promoted alongside the awards coverage: Matt Edmondson and Mollie King launch a real-time whodunit podcast; Radio 2 in the Park will head to Stirling in Scotland for 2026; Jazz FM has announced a full lineup of awards nominees for 2026; the Radio Academy will rebrand to Audio Academy and has appointed a new Chair. Other moves include Bauer taking BRITs coverage across Europe, an Ofcom initiative to force stations to create local news locally, CWR naming Lorna Bailey for weekday Breakfast, Dorset Coast Radio celebrating DAB+ expansion, and the Radio Maria chief signing off after expansion.
What makes this notable is the combination of a permanent awards reshuffle — relocating the ceremony outside London for the first time since 1977 — with a coordinated, platform-spanning media effort that promises real-time red carpet and backstage access, increasing the immediacy and reach of the night’s outcomes.
