Dua Lipa leads stars at Warner Music & Hennessy BRITs afterparty in Manchester
dua lipa made a surprise appearance during the BRIT Awards ceremony at Co-op Live and then led the guest list at Warner Music & Hennessy’s afterparty at Cut and Craft in Manchester. The evening tied a career-spanning showpiece at the awards with an extravagant, invite-only celebration that began hours before the ceremony.
Dua Lipa’s surprise performance and her look at Cut and Craft
Dua Lipa, 30, made a surprise performance during the ceremony at the nearby Co-op Live Arena and later led the stars at the Warner Music & Hennessy afterparty at Cut and Craft. At the party she stunned in a sculpted black corset and figure-hugging skirt, paired with diamond chandelier earrings, matching bracelets and glam make-up.
Warner’s early celebrations began on the British Pullman train to Manchester
The label’s celebrations began on Saturday by boarding a 1940s upholstered British Pullman Train — described as a favourite of the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II — which travelled from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly. Guests who boarded included Beth Ditto, Geri Halliwell’s daughter Bluebell Horner, Nick Grimshaw, Jaime Winston and Lennon Gallagher, who travelled in time to make it to Co-op Live for the ceremony.
Cut and Craft transformed for a 24 Hour Poodles Party theme
The afterparty at Cut and Craft on Mosley Street, located in a Grade II* listed former banking hall, was tailored to a 24 Hour Poodles Party theme. The venue entrance featured a five-metre-tall poodle installation and the interior was turned into a poodle parlour with oversized poodle inflatables, marble finishes, glam bots and a special poodle-motif carpet installed for the event. Archival images of cultural icons with their dogs, including Davie Bowie and Winston Churchill, were displayed inside, while immersive lighting, laser displays and an L-Acoustics sound design underscored the club-inspired interiors.
DJs, sets and the Suns of Acid basement takeover
Throughout the night Groove Armada, G2, Dua Lipa’s brother Gjin Lipa with Tommy Gold, and Romeo Beckham’s DJ girlfriend Kim Turnbull took turns on the decks. Manchester collective Suns of Acid — made up of Happy Mondays star Bez’s sons Arlo and Jack — hosted a hedonistic basement club; Bez himself was also in attendance. Kim Turnbull took to the DJ booth after posing for photos, and was described as attending without David and Victoria Beckham's second eldest son and carrying a Chanel handbag.
Guest list, fashion moments and drinks
The guest list spanned musicians, actors and TV personalities: Gene Gallagher, Vogue Williams, Cush Jumbo, Archie Madekwe, Munya Chawawa and AJ Odudu, who wowed in a bejewelled bodice, were all present. Others spotted at the bash included Megan McKenna, Kojey Radical, Celeste, Jamie Laing, Beth Ditto, Ms. Banks, Talia Storm, Montana Brown, Sheila Atim, Amber-Rose Gill, Barry Can't Swim, Corinna Brown, Rachel Chinouriri, Daniel W. Fletcher, Tinea Taylor, James Blunt, Corbin Shaw and Damian Hurley. Lennon Gallagher attended alongside girlfriend Isobel Richmond. The bar offered Champagne and bespoke Hennessy cocktails, with specific pours including Hennessy Paradis, the signature Henny-Rita, a Hennessy X. O Espresso Martini and Hennessy Iced Tea, alongside Manchester-inspired canapés and an illuminated bottle display. Warner Music also partnered with 1X and deployed humanoid robots to greet guests and dance on the red carpet.
BRITs ceremony highlights: Mark Ronson’s honour, Amy Winehouse tribute and Olivia Dean’s wins
The BRIT Awards themselves were held at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena for the first time in the 46-year history of the show. Mark Ronson was recognised for Outstanding Contribution to Music at the ceremony on February 28 and used his acceptance speech to reflect on meeting Amy Winehouse and their work on her second studio album Back To Black. He recalled that on the way to the ceremony he realised that on Thursday March 6 it would be 20 years to the day that Winehouse came up to his studio in New York City, that they talked for four hours and that ‘‘that night we wrote ‘Back To Black’ and that day changed my life forever. ’’ He said he treasures her voice and their bond, and thanked fans for putting songs into their lives, adding that hearing ‘‘Uptown Funk, ’’ seeing people busk ‘‘Shallow’’ or ‘‘Valerie’’ reminds him he’s been lucky to be part of songs that mean something to people.
Following his speech Ronson opened a career-spanning medley with Ghostface Killah for the 2003 hit ‘‘Ooh Wee, ’’ paid tribute with a rendition of ‘‘Back To Black, ’’ and invited the Dap-Kings on stage to perform ‘‘Valerie. ’’ Dua Lipa made a surprise appearance in Ronson’s set to perform ‘‘Dance The Night, ’’ their collaboration from the Barbie soundtrack, and the single ‘‘Electricity. ’’
The show featured a wide live lineup — including Harry Styles’ first public performance in three years and a surprise appearance from Bjork alongside Rosalía — and was hosted by Jack Whitehall for the sixth time. Noel Gallagher attended following Oasis’s Live ‘25 reunion tour and was awarded Songwriter Of The Year. Olivia Dean, 26, won four awards — Best Artist, Best Album, Best Song and Best Pop Act — winning every category she was nominated in; she was nominated twice in Song of the Year for "Man I Need" and for "Rein Me In" with Sam Fender, with the Sam Fender collaboration winning. Olivia also became the first woman since Adele in 2021 to claim the UK’s No 1 single and album in the same week with "Man I Need" and the album The Art Of Loving, both released in 2025. Other notable winners and mentions included Sam Fender, Noel Gallagher and Rosalia; PinkPantheress was noted as the youngest recipient and first female win in a cited category. Lily Allen, who released her fifth studio album West End Girl last year and dominated charts, did not take home awards and failed to beat Olivia Dean in Artist of the Year, Album of the Year and Best Pop Act.
