There’s something beautifully chaotic about watching Rossi. take over a room the size of YES’s Pink Room on a midweek night in Manchester.
No towering LED walls. No Ibiza sunset backdrop. Just low ceilings, flashing pink strobes, and a crowd packed in tight enough to feel every kick drum in your ribcage.
For a DJ who has commanded renowned venues across the globe like Space Miami, Hï Ibiza, and Manchester’s very own Warehouse Project, it felt almost mischievous seeing him in a space this intimate on a Thursday night.
If you were lucky enough to grab a ticket to this instalment of the BRITs Week 2026 for War Child fringe events, you could tell early doors that whoever had one was more than ready to turn up for him. When Rossi. stepped behind the decks, taking over from the talented Olive F, who set the tone for the evening, and once the headphones were firmly sat on his curly locks, he eased us in with a rolling, groovy opener – not so subtly dripping in snippets of his biggest and best tracks. We’d have to wait for those.
His sound sits in that sweet spot between underground grit and polished punch. Tech-house, but with his own East End character. The drums feel tight and deliberate. The basslines don’t just thud, they glide.
To start us out, we were hit with a few dancey vocals filled with his hometown of London’s Grime influence, all the way to Frank Ocean’s ‘Lost’ at 125 bpm. Within minutes, the pink room was in full swing.
From there, the set unfolded like a guided tour through the different shades of Rossi.’s catalogue. Underground favourites like ‘U WONT SEE ME’ slipped into the mix with a knowing reaction from the very keen lads at the front. ‘FREAK IN THE SHEETS’ followed later, cheeky and rhythmic, drawing that half-grin from dancers absolutely going for it at the front right.
ADVERTISEMENT
It’s easy to forget how far he’s come. A decade ago, he was carving out space in the underground. Now he’s headlining globally recognised parties like Circoloco, Music On, Paradise, and Fuse, and launching a world tour that’s been tearing through the UK, Ireland, Europe, and the US. Yet here, there was no arena ego. Just a cheeky lad going back to his roots like he’s on his CDJs in the bedroom.
Mid-set, he began to lift the energy. Brighter synths edged in with the odd jangly finger floater for good measure (that’s what I’m calling that dance move anyway!). The percussion grew punchier. The room, already warm, never quite tipped into sweatbox territory. Strangers were dancing together. Drinks were abandoned on ledges. I had realised I’d bagged the perfect vantage spot overlooking things on the ledge, in prime view of a truly fortuitous occasion.
Rossi. at YES for BRITs Week 2026 for War Child / Credit: Holly Pimlott (Supplied)
Then came one of the night’s real eruptions. ‘High On Me’ – his breakout collaboration with Jazzy – landed like a spark in dry grass. The track, which stormed into the UK Top 20 and racked up over 20 million streams in a matter of weeks, felt enormous in a room this size.
ADVERTISEMENT
Arms shot up. Lyrics were shouted back. For a few minutes, YES felt like the epicentre of British dance music or maybe a flashback to a ruthless TikTok doom scroll session.
But what impressed me most was the pacing. Rossi. didn’t sprint through bangers. He let grooves breathe. He allowed tension to stretch before unleashing the drop on almost every occasion. Teasing in a little snippet of an upcoming track, a few minutes before we could revel in it in full. It’s the confidence of someone who’s sold out 2,500-capacity headline shows – even breaking ticketing systems with demand – yet still understands that the magic is in the build.
The talented Olive F supported and set the tone for the evening / Credit: Holly Pimlott (Supplied)
As the final stretch approached, he nudged the tempo upward… and he was about to drop some serious crowd pleasers.
LEDs dampened. Darkness fell. The murmurings of ‘Lady – Hear Me Tonight’ rose in unison with the crowd’s curiosity. It didn’t take long until the entire gaff was going mental. Just pure, euphoric house music.
And to finish, with his headphones resting against the decks and mixing all said and done, he pressed play on the swan song. As ‘These Sounds Fall Into My Mind’ echoed around the room, the speakers hardly needed to be playing anymore. When he finally eased out, it felt less like an ending and more like an enticing warning shot for the summer ahead… hello, is that Ibiza calling?
Rossi. at YES wasn’t just a warm-up for this Saturday’s big BRIT Awards, it was proof that no matter how big the stages get, he thrives in the arm-flaring closeness of a proper club room.
Global headline DJ. Underground heart.
Featured Image – Holly Pimlott (Supplied)
Audio
Olivia Dean proves she deserves all her flowers with a captivating performance for BRITs Week 26 for War Child
Clementine Hall
BRITs Week 26 for War Child continued in Manchester last night, with Olivia Dean taking over a beautiful candle-lit Albert Hall… and it was a night we won’t forget.
I don’t need to tell you how utterly brilliant Olivia Dean is.
It’s something I’ve known for years (humble brag), but luckily it seems the entire world has caught on over the past few months.
I’ve been lucky enough to see Olivia five times now, and from watching her joyfully shake here banana-shaped maraca on a small stage at Glastonbury in 2023, to swishing her olive green satin gown at one of the country’s best venues last night – her indisputable talent remains.
Images: The Manc
The Art of Loving, her sophomore album, came out in September last year and features global hits ‘Man I Need’ and ‘Nice to Each Other’.
The record is a perfect analysis of love in all forms. Her heartfelt yet humoured lyricism explores its constant ups and downs, but perhaps the most prominent theme of love throughout is self-love.
And this is so clear as we watch Olivia beam from ear to ear as she makes her way through a setlist that is a celebration of her entire discography.
Of course, we heard all the fan favourites from the new album including ‘Lady Lady’ and ‘So Easy (To Fall In Love)’, but we were also treated to some of her older songs like ‘Echo’ and ‘UFO’ that initially brought her into the limelight.
A highlight for me was Ladies Bathroom which saw the gigantic disco ball hanging above us kick into gear, which as you can imagine at the gorgeous Albert Hall was a real sight to behold.
The entire evening underlined why smaller, grassroots venues are so bloody brilliant and deserving of our support now more than ever.
Image: Supplied
No pushing, no overcrowding, we were all there to revel in Olivia’s greatness and we all knew how lucky we were.
This was no doubt a very special show, a complete one-off in aid of BRITs Week 2026 to raise money for War Child, which Olivia joyfully announced that we had raised £270,000 for that night.
It’s no surprise that Olivia Dean is one of the most exciting artists in the world right now, oozing class, charm and impeccable talent.
We’ll be watching with our fingers crossed as she attends the BRIT Awards on Saturday evening with an impressive (and very well deserved) five nominations.
If you’re lucky enough to have tickets to her upcoming tour then just know how much fun you’ll have, but you’ll never have as much fun as Olivia does on that stage.
You can find out more about the remaining War Child performances here.
Featured image – The Manc Group
Audio
Ozzy Osbourne to be posthumously honoured with BRITs Lifetime Achievement Award
Emily Sergeant
Ozzy Osbourne is set to be honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2026 BRITs tomorrow.
The BRIT Awards 2026 with Mastercard has announced that global rock icon Ozzy Osbourne, the celebrated founding member and frontman of Black Sabbath, and pioneering ‘godfather’ of British heavy metal – who sadly passed away last July – will be honoured at this year’s ceremony this weekend (Saturday 28 February).
Ozzy will be honoured with the BRITs Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition and celebration of his ‘inimitable impact and influence’ on music worldwide.
The award will be accepted on Ozzy’s behalf when the BRITs comes to Manchester for the first time ever at Co-op Live.
With over 100 million worldwide album sales achieved over five decades, a legendary catalogue of music – including 19 studio albums, and eight live albums with Black Sabbath, as well as 13 studio albums as a solo artist – Ozzy Osbourne is undoubtedly one of music’s most influential icons of all time.
The many industry accolades awarded to Ozzy across his career include five GRAMMYs, an induction into both the UK Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (both with Black Sabbath and as a solo artist, in separate years), and the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement – and now the BRITs honour is the latest to add to the list.
“Ozzy Osbourne has been a mighty force in modern music,” commented Stacey Tang, who is the Chair of the 2026 BRIT Awards Committee and Co-President of RCA Records at Sony Music UK.
“Possessing an unmistakable voice and unique presence, he reshaped the sound and spirit of rock, inspiring generations of artists who followed. This Lifetime Achievement Award recognises a remarkable legacy built on originality and enduring influence, that continues to connect with fans worldwide.”
The BRIT Awards are coming to Manchester for the first time in its history in 2026 / Credit: ITV / BRITs / Co-op Live
To celebrate Ozzy’s win, an all-star rock tribute performance – that will close the show on the night – will pay homage to him.
A special arrangement of ‘No More Tears’ – the title track from Ozzy’s multi-million selling 1991 album of the same name – has been curated by Sharon Osbourne.
The performance will boast a phenomenal line up of British and international musical talent, featuring musicians that played as part of Ozzy’s band over the years, and fronted by Robbie Williams, who has been invited personally by Sharon to be part of this special moment.
The BRIT Awards 2026 with Mastercard will take place on Saturday 28 February from Manchester’s Co-op Live, and audiences at home can watch on ITV live or stream later on ITVX.
Comedian and actor Jack Whitehall will return to presenting duties in 2026 – his sixth time hosting the show.
Featured Image – John Matthew Smith (via Wikimedia Commons)
Harry Quick -
27th February 2026 
