BRIT Awards 2026 to be held in Manchester for first time in 47 years
The iconic BRIT Awards will be held in Manchester for the first time in its 47 year history.
The biggest night in British music is set to grace the UK's largest indoor arena, Co-op Live, in 2026 and 2027, "marking a bold new chapter for the legendary event".
It will be the first time the awards ceremony, which brings together artists from around the world, will be held outside of London following its stint in the capital and 15 years at The O2 arena.
Organisers say the move will be a "welcome addition" to the city's "music legacy", which includes the likes of Oasis, The Smiths, Harry Styles, and Courteeners.
The BRIT Awards with Mastercard 2026 will take place on Saturday, 28 February, and will be broadcast exclusively on ITV1.
Jason Iley MBE, Chairman and CEO, Sony Music UK & Ireland said: "Moving to Manchester, the home of some of the most iconic and defining artists of our lifetime, will reinvigorate the show and build on the BRITs legacy of celebrating and reinvesting in world-class music.
"Hosting the show in Manchester, with its vibrant cultural history, perfectly captures the spirit and energy of the BRIT Awards. I can't wait to see the show at the amazing state-of-the art Co-op Live venue.'
There has been no confirmation on who will be performing at the BRIT Awards 2026.
Sabrina Carpenter, Teddy Swims, Lola Young and Sam Fender performed at last year's awards with Charli XCX winning five awards including artist, song and album of the year.
'Manchester is at the forefront of the UK music scene, from our iconic grassroots scene through to major events and this news is a major vote of confidence in Manchester," Leader of Manchester City Council Bev Craig said.
YolanDa Brown OBE DL, BPI Chair, added: "As we approach the 50th anniversary of the first ever BRIT Awards in 1977, it is hard to imagine a more fitting and imaginative way to celebrate this special landmark and to keep the music alive.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
21 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Near hits: 13 songs performed by artists after being turned down by musicians
Would Kylie's recent smash hit Padam Padam have been quite as successful if it had been sung by Rita Ora? That's the question being asked by Ora herself, after admitting she nearly sang it. The 2023 track, penned by Lostboy, was initially considered for Rita Ora before it ultimately became Kylie Minogue's much-lauded comeback hit. Despite this, the 34-year-old singer has expressed no ill will about not recording the song. Speaking to the Daily Star, the British singer revealed that there were no hard feelings that the Australian pop icon ended up performing the song instead: 'I've always grown up with this saying, 'What's for you won't pass you'. And that's always how I've lived my life. And it's Kylie Minogue - she's the queen of the world, in my opinion. So, of course, Kylie's going to get it and kill it and do a great job. 'And in the pop industry, that happens every day to a lot of big artists - you just don't know about it." But Rita Ora isn't the only musician who either turned down, or was passed over, a song that went on to become a smash hit for another pop culture icon. Check out 13 of the near hits that could have occurred if the butterfly effect had been different. 1 . Baby One More Time (Britney Spears) This iconic track was famously offered to R&B group TLC and Swedish singer Robyn. TLC reportedly passed on it because they felt it didn't fit their image, and Robyn wasn't ready to release it. Instead, it went to Britney Spears and launched her into superstardom, reaching number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, and topping the charts in the UK, Canada, Australia, and many other countries globally. | Getty Images Photo Sales 2 . Call Me Maybe (Carly Rae Jepsen) This incredibly catchy pop anthem was reportedly offered to Selena Gomez and even Justin Bieber (before he championed Jepsen's version) who both passed on it. It then became a massive breakthrough hit for Carly Rae Jepsen, spending 9 consecutive weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and topping the charts in the UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and numerous other countries worldwide. | Getty Images Photo Sales 3 . Don't Cha (The Pussycat Dolls ft. Busta Rhymes) This catchy track was reportedly offered to socialite Paris Hilton and the British girl group Sugababes before it became a breakout hit for The Pussycat Dolls. Don't Cha was a huge international success, peaking at number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topping the charts in 15 countries, including the UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, and Ireland. | Getty Images Photo Sales 4 . Gold Digger (Kanye West ft. Jamie Foxx) This massive hit was originally written by Kanye West with a female rapper, Shawnna, in mind, but she decided not to use it. Gold Digger was a colossal hit for Kanye West, spending 10 consecutive weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. It also reached number 2 in the UK and was a top 10 hit in Australia, Canada, and Ireland. | Getty Images Photo Sales
Daily Mirror
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Who is Love Island's US star Antonia as fans divided by first bombshell
Love Island's first bombshell has been revealed as American pool waitress, Antonia Laites, who is bound to cause a stir among the class of 2025 as the new series gets underway on ITV Love Island's first bombshell is already in the villa and has caused a stir among fans as a new series of the ITV dating show gets underway. Fans couldn't wait for the sexy show to start last night and are in for a whole heap of drama as the new arrival was told that her entrance would send an 'original' girl packing. Pool waitress, Antonia Laites, from Sin City, Las Vegas, arrived as the end of Monday's launch episode to cause a stir among the saucy singletons. While the boys looked thrilled to see a new female in the house, not everyone was impressed. "Oh I can't be doing with the 'dramatic' twists already. Why can't you just see if they get on or not . Bring back the OG style of Love Island and the smoking round the fire pit," complained one fan. "Dumping someone after 2 days. What's the point in getting them in. Absolutely crazy. Waste of time waste of energy. They'd have prepped and gymed and dieted for weeks for this and told their work or whatever. To then be dumped after a day," fumed another. Other fans moaned about the arrival of the first American star in the villa, with one swiping: "Don't we have enough beautiful people of our own?" Stunning Antonia, 24, who was born in Connecticut, but has also lived n Miami, looks after the swanky VIP cabanas at the lavish Fontainebleau Resort in Vegas, where she waits on the rich and famous, while they soak up the sun. Speaking about bagging her 'coveted' job, she said: "I'm always the number 1 in sales at both hotels I work at. I'm a workaholic. You have to audition to get the job I've got - over 1000 people applied. There's only 10 cabana servers! For the audition they set up a fake pool deck, they tell you to load up trays and zig zag through the chairs. "The trays are heavy with pitchers and our large cocktails are really large! I've definitely dropped drinks on people before, but on the whole I'm really good." According to The Sun, Antonia has already sashayed into the villa, with a source saying: "Antonia landed as part of a huge first day and everyone is very excited." When asked who she is looking for in the villa, the American quipped: "Someone that can make me laugh - I'm super outgoing. And someone that's quite active. Maybe one day we could start our own family together." Ahead of her ITV debut, Antonia dubbed the dating scene in the states a 'mess', saying people are there for a 'good time, not a long time'. She also reckons she loves the British accent, claiming "British men are just more polite". She continued: "I've lived in three different states and I'm still single. It's time to try something new! I have some British friends and they're pretty charming. I think all Americans love a good accent. British men are just more polite, with better manners." However, she does have some deal breakers. Listing her "icks", she said: "Bad hygiene. Bad breath. Not getting hair cuts. If we're going on a date and you're not dressed for the occasion, then that's a bit of an ick! "I like to be treated like a lady, going to nice spas in Vegas, being taken to nice restaurants. I'm still waiting to be taken on vacation for a date." Heading into the villa, the brunette said she is looking for someone with "darker hair, definitely muscular but not too muscular. Super fit. Clean hair cut." Antonia has also revealed that she suffers from ulcerative colitis, which is an inflammatory bowel disease and can sometimes lead to life-threatening complications. Explaining that she was left hospitalised and needing an infusion when she younger, the bombshell said she almost missed her school prom but was allowed to go as long as she was back in hospital at 11pm "like Cinderella". Love Island host, Maya Jama, teased Antonia's entrance in last night's show as she purred, while sporting a silk dressing gown: "Oh, I've got a text... I've been expecting this one." She then listened to the message, which teased: "Hey Maya, I heard you want more twists. How about an American bombshell? Get ready, I'm on my way." * Love Island is on ITV at 9pm tonight
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Who is Love Island 2025 contestant Tommy Bradley?
TOMMY Bradley undertook a huge body transformation over the course of a year to prepare himself for the famous villa. While love comes in all shapes and sizes, Tommy bulked up to catch the girls' eyes — here's everything we know about him. 3 3 Who is Tommy Bradley? Tommy Bradley is a landscape gardener from Hertfordshire. He is 22 years old, making him one of this year's youngest Islanders. On June 1, The Sun exclusively revealed that the 'cheeky chappy' would be a contestant on Love Island 2025. Tommy documented his prep for the ITV2 dating show on Instagram, posting streams of his gym sessions. He was helped by his brother Jamie Bradley — a boxer who used to train with two-time world heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua. In his pre-villa interview, Tommy said: "My brother Jamie is a professional boxer. He used to train with Anthony Joshua." He also revealed that his secret skill is playing the guitar, as well as knowing all the lyrics to every Oasis track. Tommy admits to being a bit fussy. On his biggest ick, he said: "When a girl is always out partying. I don't go out too much. "It's all about saving money and work. I go out during the summer but wouldn't want to date someone who parties every weekend." When asked how far he plans to go when it comes to 'doing bits' in the villa, Tommy revealed a rather awkward chat he had with his mum before flying out to Mallorca. He told The Sun and other press: 'I don't really know if I'll have sex in the villa. 'My mum has actually brought it up to me. She was like, 'Oh my God, have you thought about it — like, if you do have sex with someone in the villa I'm going to be watching.' 'She said, 'I don't know if I can watch.' So I don't really know. 'It's just one of them things, isn't it? I don't know what connection I'm going to find in there. 'But hopefully I find someone and then who knows what could happen.' A source told the Sun: 'Tommy seems to tick all the Love Island boxes as the cheeky chappy of this summer's series. 'He looks to enjoy a night out with the lads and out on the boxing scene with his brother. 'But he's also packed on serious muscle over the last year ready for telly's famous villa and is no longer just a personality hire." Love Island continues at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
