For the first time in its three decade-long history, the BRIT Awards are taking place in Manchester this year – and there’s a whole programme of events happening all week in celebration.
Much like the Oasis fever that had the city in its grip last summer, venues all over Greater Manchester will be getting giddy over the upcoming awards ceremony, which will attract some of the world’s biggest music names to our hometown.
The BRIT Awards themselves will be taking place at the Co-op Live in Manchester on Saturday 28 February, as well as being broadcast live on ITV and ITVX.
Performances on the night will come from Harry Styles, Olivia Dean, Rosalía, Mark Ronson, Wolf Alice, and loads more – you can see the latest line-up for the BRIT Awards HERE.
But before that, Mancs will be able to enjoy everything from free art trails to intimate gigs from massive artists.
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The BRITs will really be taking over Manchester – here’s everything that’s going on.
The BRITs Art Trail
Northern Quarter and Ancoats | Thursday 12 February – Monday 16 March
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The BRITs Art Trail map
Curated by legendary Manchester artist Stanley Chow, and produced by Wild in Art, a new citywide art trail has appeared in the city.
The work of 21 different North West artists – from murals to billboards to installations – has taken over the Northern Quarter and Ancoats.
You’ll find them everywhere from the side of the landmark pink carpark on Church Street to the windows of Fred Aldous – one of our favourites is a classic David Bailey BRITs comic strip.
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A Microdot Design by Brian Cannon
Manchester Piccadilly | Tuesday 17 February – Sunday 1 March, 12pm-6pm
Taking full advantage of the closure of Manchester Piccadilly is one of the music industry’s best-known creatives, with a bespoke gallery exhibition popping up on the station’s concourse.
A Microdot Design by Brian Cannon will celebrate three decades of iconic British music artwork, including his creations for bands including Oasis, The Verve, Cast, Ruthless Rap Assassins, New Fast Automatic Daffodils, Inspiral Carpets, The Lathums and Super Furry Animals.
Brian Cannon said: “I established Microdot in Manchester in 1990, and since then, I have worked with many artists from the city and the wider North-West area. I was delighted, therefore, to be asked to curate an exhibition to celebrate The BRIT Awards 2026 with Mastercard’s first visit to Manchester showcasing my work for musicians from the region.
“The retrospective exhibition includes some classic pieces that most people will be familiar with, alongside some lesser-known work from my archive.”
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Entry is free, with advance timed tickets available to book HERE.
BRITs Week for War Child, delivered by DHL
Various dates and venues
Huge artists announce intimate charity gigs for BRITs Week 26 for War ChildRobbie Williams announces surprise intimate gig in Manchester at Aviva Studios. Credit: Supplied
Some of the world’s biggest artists – including BRITs-nominated star Olivia Dean – will be performing intimate shows at grassroots venues right across the UK.
Here in Manchester, that means Olivia Dean herself on stage at the beautiful Albert Hall, The K’s at Gorilla, as well two nights curated Warehouse Project at YES – one with Mixmag’s Year Defining DJ Josh Baker, and the other with DJ Mag’s One to Watch Rossi.
These shows have been announced in support of War Child’s vital work supporting children affected by Conflict.
Tickets and further information can be found HERE.
The Rodeo BRITs special edition zine
Friday 20 February
Independent Manchester music magazine The Rodeo are producing a limited-edition zine to celebrate The BRITs coming to town.
As well as interviews with nominated artists, it will feature words from people across our city’s music scene, and will showcase the events taking place all over the city.
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It will officially launch on Friday and you’ll be able to pick up copies in selected shops, record stores, and music venues – UNITOM, Piccadilly Records, Night & Day Cafe, The Rat & Pigeon, Fred Aldous, Ezra & Gil, The Bay Horse Tavern, Cane & Grain, Smithfield Social, Jimmy’s, Pollen, and Cloudwater.
FRINGE LAB
New Century Hall | Friday 27 February
BRITs Fringe will be a week-long programme that celebrates Greater Manchester’s music scene, under the banner ‘Manchester Seen and Heard’.
The event will harness the power of the BRIT Awards to amplify grassroots and local creativity.
At the centre of the programme is FRINGE LAB, a one-day music industry forum, mixer and live showcase at New Century Hall, with a line-up that includes YolanDa Brown OBE DL, Jamz Supernova (BBC 6 Music), Rich Castillo (Lionbear Music), The Lottery Winners, Donae’O, Zed Bias, Låpsley, Sam Potts (AWAL), Scott Lewis (EMI North) and Mark Lippmann (Scruff of the Neck).
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But there’ll also be three days of workshops for young musicians – you can find out more information on that HERE.
Kate Lowes, Director at Brighter Sound, said: “We’re thrilled to be announcing some of the incredible artists and industry figures joining us for BRITs Fringe – with more to be announced in the coming days. The line-up reflects both the calibre and generosity of people ready to share knowledge and open doors for the next generation.
“We’ve had a fantastic response from local creatives and can’t wait to welcome everyone to our events in the week leading up to the awards. From development sessions to live showcases, we’re focused on creating clear, meaningful pathways for Greater Manchester talent.”
Manchester Must Dance (an afternoon with Mike Pickering in conversation with Graeme Park)
The Social, Aviva Studios | Saturday 28 February, 2pm
In celebration of Manchester-born musician, DJ and songwriter Mike Pickering, this special event will give guests an exclusive preview of Mike’s forthcoming book Manchester Must Dance, alongside his take on the music, moments and movements that shaped his groundbreaking career.
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The event will feature an in-conversation hosted by legendary house music DJ Graeme Park, with a live audience Q&A offering a rare opportunity to hear directly from Mike himself.
Wigan band The Lathums announce five gigs at five intimate Manchester venues
Daisy Jackson
The Lathums have announced five intimate shows at some of the most iconic grassroots venues in Manchester.
The huge Wigan band will be taking it back to their roots and performing at some of the venues that ‘helped them get started’, from super-intimate bars to legendary small venues.
The Lathums have announced the five-night tour in Manchester in celebration of the fifth anniversary of their chart-topping debut album, How Beautiful Life Can Be.
They’ll be playing to small crowds at Night & Day, Deaf Institute, Gorilla, New Century, and the O2 Ritz next spring.
At each of the five gigs they’ll perform their debut album in full along with other fan favourites from their impress back catalogue.
How Beautiful Life Can Be went straight to number one on the UK official charts on its release in 2021, with top songs like ‘Oh My Love’, ‘How Beautiful Life Can Be’, and ‘I’ll Get By’.
Meet Larishka – the DJ making her mark on Manchester’s Garage scene
Emily Johnson
It’s time to meet Larishka – Audio North’s Artist of the Month for October.
For Larishka, music has always been around her in some form. Growing up surrounded by classical and rock music, she never expected her route into electronic music to begin with a Parklife set from Carl Cox, before eventually becoming a DJ, promoter, and co-owner of Manchester’s Ghosts of Garage.
Today, she runs events, DJs across House, Garage and Bass, and is helping build a community around one of Manchester’s most exciting electronic music brands.
From promoter to DJ
Larishka actually started out as a promoter while doing an apprenticeship at a music booking agency. She always knew she wanted to work on the events side rather than bookings, but felt like she wasn’t going to make many connections within the industry while living in Oldham.
Her plan was to go to university to study music, with the hope of learning to produce while also moving into Manchester and making connections within the city’s music scene.
Quite quickly into her studies, she joined Ghosts of Garage. After about a year, she had something of a lightbulb moment.
Meet Larishka, the DJ making her mark on Manchester’s Garage scene / Credit: Supplied
“I was studying music, I run my own nights, and I was always on the aux at house parties, so why have I not learned to DJ yet?” she explained.
That realisation came while she was sitting on MATTIK’s living room sofa, where she asked if he would teach her. Before long, she was calling him every day asking if they could go to the studio and practise mixing.
“I owe it to him really, he was a brilliant teacher.”
“I get it” – the Parklife moment that changed everything
Larishka’s introduction to electronic music wasn’t exactly the traditional one.
“I grew up on classical and rock music – my dad was a sound engineer in the 70s so that was his thing really, and my mum played the piano every single day so that’s what I was constantly around.”
She first heard house music when she was around 15 or 16, after a friend sent her a track they had found on SoundCloud.
“I listened to it out of my phone and didn’t really get it, it was too repetitive.”
A few years later, everything changed. After hearing Parklife from her window every year growing up, Larishka eventually went to the festival for the first time and watched Carl Cox close The Valley. He played ‘Finder’ by Ninetoes, and it was the first time she had experienced electronic music on a huge sound system.
“I remember being in absolute awe and turning to my friend and saying ‘I get it’ and from then, I was just absolutely hooked.”
It became a genuine turning point.
“I had my A Level exams that following week and when I was revising all I was listening to was house music and I remember my Dad coming in and saying ‘Is this you forever now?’ and I said ‘Yeah I think it is'”.
Larishka is Audio North’s Artist of the Month for October / Credit: Supplied
Why Manchester means so much
“I mean it’s home, and always has been.”
Having become part of the city’s music scene, she says she feels incredibly lucky to have found a community around her.
“There’s a certain camaraderie that exists here that I don’t know that you’d find anywhere else.”
For her, that sense of community is what makes Manchester’s music scene so special.
“Seeing people you know everywhere you go, you kinda feel like you’re never alone and that you’re actually part of something.”
That spirit extends beyond electronic music, too.
“And it’s not just in electronic music either, that spirit exists across all genres – Manchester music history is so rooted across such a broad spectrum of genres, and to see that still prevailing today is something we should all be proud of.”
Building Ghosts of Garage
It’s impossible to talk about Larishka’s journey without talking about Ghosts of Garage.
She’s a co-owner of the brand, having joined in 2021, and works across its marketing, bookings and creative direction alongside Rich Reason. For her, one of the biggest things that makes a Ghosts of Garage night stand out is its commitment to the music.
“The music and lineups truly never miss, which is a credit to Rich. The guy knows how to program a lineup.”
The team makes a conscious effort to champion new talent, often including at least one Manchester or UK debut on a lineup.
“A big part of each event is making them unique while keeping the brand consistent – each event has to have its own USP or else the nights get boring and people think they can just skip this one and go to the next and it’ll be the same.”
For Larishka, music has always been around her in some form / Credit: Supplied
Community is a huge part of the brand.
“We’re also big advocates of community and want to create the gap between audience and DJ as little as possible, so try to get the crowd involved as much as possible through things like our WhatsApp community.”
The aim is to make people feel like buying a ticket means becoming part of something bigger.
“We want people to feel like if you buy a ticket for our event, then you’ve unlocked a key to be part of something.”
Larishka’s advice for getting into Manchester’s music scene
For anyone hoping to break into Manchester’s music scene, Larishka’s advice is simple – go out.
“I’m way more likely to book you if we’ve met and we’ve had a good chat because it means I can put a face to a name and I know what you’re like.”
For her, being part of the community is about more than simply sending messages and asking for opportunities.
“Being an active member of the community means you’re already part of the night, so booking you to DJ just makes you even more part of it than you already are, rather than someone I’ve never met before who’s in my DMs.”
Ultimately, it comes back to the same thing that has shaped so much of Larishka’s own journey – showing up, meeting people, and becoming part of something.
Daisy Jackson -
18th February 2026 
