Brits 2026: Six things to watch as Manchester hosts the ceremony

The move to Manchester has reshaped the conversation around brits 2026: the ceremony is the 46th edition and the first time it has been held outside London since its inception in 1977, and organisers, artists and the local music industry have all signalled a different tone for the night.

Brits 2026 and the Manchester shift: venue, signs and sentiment

The ceremony decamps to the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, a brand-new home cited as part of an effort to recognise geographical diversity in UK music. Visitors have been posing for selfies at a temporary sign at Olivia Deansgate station, a small tribute that organisers say shows how the city is embracing the arrival of the awards on Saturday. The move is being framed as the event’s first venture outside London in its five-decade history; other coverage refers to the ceremony as taking place "tonight" — unclear in the provided context.

Closed rehearsals, sketches and Harry Styles’ new material

Harry Styles will give the first live performance of music from his fourth album, and it is three years since he last played at the Brits. His previous appearance featured As It Was, when he sprinted around the O2 Arena in a spangly red suit jacket and left with four trophies including album of the year. This time he will perform Aperture, described as a clubby, hypnotic single from his forthcoming record Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally, and there is talk of recreating the music video sequence in which a brawl with a stalker turns into a dance routine and sees him hoisted into the air like Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing. Details are being kept under wraps, with "closed door rehearsals" at Manchester's Co-Op Arena barring everyone but essential staff. Styles will also appear in a sketch with host Jack Whitehall; Whitehall said he "had to send over a couple of ideas, because I don't think the first few were appropriate, " and described one idea involving trekking to find Styles living in a hut and shaving him while he looked like Hagrid.

Nominations to watch: Olivia Dean, Lola Young, Raye and a crowded best-artist field

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 both remain strong contenders across categories. Raye could pick up her eighth and ninth Brit Awards at the Manchester ceremony. The shortlist is eclectic: Lily Allen's bitter break-up album West End Girl has been recognised, songs from the movie musicals Wicked and KPop Demon Hunters appear on the list, and resurgent Britpop band Pulp have a best group nomination. The best British artist category is described as hotly contested, with Olivia Dean, Lola Young, Lily Allen, Dave, Sam Fender and PinkPantheress all named as deserving winners. The piece notes a run of dominance in recent years: Harry Styles in 2023, Raye in 2024 and Charli XCX in 2025 each won multiple trophies in stretches when one artist could dominate.

Fringe events, charity shows and the north’s music ecosystem

Organisers have been running a fringe programme in Manchester that includes work with grassroots artists and intimate shows by pop stars such as Olivia Dean and Robbie Williams, the latter performing in aid of the charity War Child. Stacey Tang, the Brit awards chair and co-president of RCA Records (part of Sony), framed the move as an effort to recognise that "creativity doesn’t happen in one postcode in the UK" and said local partners, including Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, had "really opened up the city. " Tang added that "the investment that’s being made in Manchester, the kinetic energy around the city is really palpable, " and emphasised opportunities for people to meet like-minded creatives and feel they belong in the city.

Industry backing, milestones and northern momentum

Jo Twist, chief executive of the BPI, said research showed Manchester has consistently been the UK’s top location for producing chart-toppers, and argued the industry is shifting to do more to find talent and support it on its doorstep, noting global success can take years of label support. Twist pointed to the BPI's decision to move the Mercury prize to Newcastle last year for the first time after the Leeds band English Teacher broke a decade-long streak of London winners in 2024; the 2025 prize went to Sam Fender, North Shields born and raised, who celebrated in his home city. The MTV European music awards were held at Co-op Live in 2024 and the Northern music awards launched in Manchester in 2024. The Mobo awards, which have been held in several northern cities, will mark their 30th anniversary in Manchester at the end of March.

Workshops, labels and the red carpet fashion focus

Scott Lewis, label manager at EMI North based in Leeds, has spent the week running workshops with up-and-coming artists, offering advice on approaching labels and feedback on demos; his role was established in 2023 at what was described as the first major label office outside London to recognise the barriers facing northern musicians. He told attendees, "if you can see it, you can be it. " On the fashion side, the red carpet remains a central focus: Harry Styles, Olivia Dean, Sam Fender, Lola Young, Lily Allen, Ed Sheeran, Raye and Robbie Williams are all expected at the Brit Awards tonight, and arts and entertainment reporter @BethanyMinelle has been tracking the arrivals and outfits as stars make their entrances. One quoted line in the material about the week of industry events ends mid-sentence — "It’s a case of talent being everywhe" — unclear in the provided context.