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.
Dave at Co-op Live, Manchester – tickets, times, setlist and more for UK tour
Thomas Melia
Highly-acclaimed rapper-songwriter Dave is heading to Co-op Live for two nights, in support of his recent release The Boy Who Played The Harp.
Manchester is gearing up for two nights of high-energy rap with a sprinkle of prose courtesy of rapper and songwriter Dave, taking place at Co-op Live.
The rapper has been cultivating an audience of dedicated fans through his impressive solo work and some pretty huge collaborations with acts like Central Cee, AJ Tracey, Fredo and more.
The Brit-Nigerian star has three albums to his name and an even bigger number of chart-toppers, recently earning his fourth, a collaboration with Afrobeats artist Tems titled ‘Raindance’.
Now, Dave is compiling a 10-year discography, creating a setlist perfect to be played at 23,500 seater venue Co-op Live right here in Manchester.
Gig guide | Dave at Co-op Live, Manchester – all you need to know
Dave is playing two shows at Co-op Live Manchester in March as part of his UK tour / Credit: supplied via Wikimedia Commons
Dave UK tour dates
Fri 13 March – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Mon 16 March – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Tue 17 March – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Sat 29 August – Little John’s Farm – Reading, UK
Sun 30 August – Bramham Park – Leeds, UK
Are there tickets left for Dave at Co-op Live?
You ‘Wanna Know’ if there’s any Dave tickets going spare? Well guess what, you’re in luck as you can still find a handful of tickets to both dates.
It might not be a ‘Funky Friday’, but Dave is coming to Co-op Live in Manchester on Monday 16 March with tickets HERE.
There’s two chances to witness some of the best ‘UK Rap’ so grab your ‘Trojan Horse’ and get ready to watch him live on Tuesday 17 March – tickets HERE.
Dave setlist for 2026 tour
History
No Weapons
Verdansk
Clash
System
Both Sides of a Smile
Screwface Capital
Location
Thiago Silva
No Words
Professor X
Funky Friday
Kat Slater
Titanium
Victory Lap Freestyle
Trojan Horse
UK Rap
Selfish
Chapter 16
The Boy Who Played the Harp
Sprinter
Starlight
Stage times for Dave and support act at Co-op Live, Manchester
Doors for the ‘Money Talks’ hitmaker are set to open from 6.30pm with no official starting time listed although the rapper has taken to the stage around 9pm at previous dates.
The show officially begins at 7.30pm, with Lost Boys performing as support.
You’re guaranteed to get swept away by Dave’s songs and the storytelling weaved throughout his lyrics.
How to get to Co-op Live
Tram
For those of you heading to Co-op Live, you’ll be glad to know it’s right next door to a rather famous big blue stadium and its integrated Metrolink stop.
Head along the light blue or orange lines directly to the Etihad Campus or Ashton-under-Lyne, and you can get off the tram literally spitting distance from the arena. You can find the full map HERE.
Trams run frequently on the Ashton-Eccles line to the Etihad stop, with services leaving every six minutes from the city centre and until 1:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Bus
You can find the full list of bus routes HERE, with the one in closest proximity to the venue being the 53 bus, which runs from Cheetham Hill through to Higher Crumpsall, Old Trafford and Pendleton, leaving just a two-minute walk to Co-op Live. You also get free Bee Network travel with any valid event.
Getting there by car and parking
If you’re driving, there is limited parking available at the venue, but this must be pre-booked ahead of time, and there are designated drop-off areas.
The postcode is M11 3DU, and you can follow the signs towards the wider Etihad Campus as you get closer; directions to the adjacent drop-off points will also be signposted.
Keep in mind that congestion on the roads close to the stadium is expected to gather around two hours prior to any event, so if you are travelling on the road, these are the suggested times they provide on event day, though estimates will obviously vary:
Alan Turing Way (both directions): plan an additional 20 minutes into any journey by road.
Hyde Road (eastbound): expect an additional 15 minutes to be added to your journey.
Mancunian Way (westbound): plan for an extra 10 minutes of travel time.
There are also three park-and-ride facilities near Co-op Live, but be advised that the Velopark and Holt Town stops will be closed post-event to help safely manage crowds:
Ashton West (Ashton line) – 184 spaces and 11 disabled spaces
Ladywell (Ashton-Eccles line) – 332 spaces and 22 disabled spaces
Walk/cycle
Lastly, Co-op Live is only a half-hour stroll from Manchester Piccadilly, and you could even walk along the canal all the way to the front door if you fancy taking the scenic route.
Greater Manchester now also offers the option to hire bikes on the Beryl app, with riders able to locate, unlock, get to their destination and then safely lock up the bike all through an easy-to-use app. There are hire points just near the south-west corner of the Etihad Stadium on Ashton New Road.
For more information on all travel options, you can check out the enhanced journey planner.
Featured Images – Press shot via supplied / Wikimedia Commons via supplied
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Korn announce massive Manchester gig on first UK tour in a decade
Daisy Jackson
Korn have announced a major Manchester gig as part of a new UK tour – their first in more than a decade.
The nu metal legends will be heading to the AO Arena later this year, making a monumental return to British shores.
And they’ve announced very special guests will be joining them on the tour too – support will come from Architects, as well as Youth Code.
Korn burst onto the scene back in 1991 with their seminal self-titled debut album, and have gone on to release a whopping 14 studio albums.
The Californian group have sold more than 40 million albums worldwide, collected two Grammy Awards, and headed out on countless world tours.
They’re often cited by newer bands as a major influence and have pushed the limits of the rock, alternative and metal genres.
The Ringer has described Korn as ‘a genuine movement in a way bands cannot be now’.
As well as performing in Manchester, Korn will play at venues across the UK including in Leeds, Birmingham, Newcastle, and London.
They’ll be joined by Architects, a British metalcore band who have continued to top the charts even after the tragic death of founding member, guitarist, and principal songwriter Tom Searle.
Korn will be at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday 31 October, with pre-sale tickets available from Tuesday 17 March at 8am, before a general on-sale from Friday 20 March at 8am HERE.
Daisy Jackson -
18th February 2026 
