The club would stay open until 7am on Fridays, with Pot Noodles sold behind the bar to keep people dancing until dawn.
The O2 Ritz posted: “Do You Wanna Get Rocked? Join us on Saturday 09 April 2022 when we pay tribute to legendary Manchester institution Jillys Rockworld.
Manchester hosted The BRIT Awards 2026 and proved why it’s the best city on earth
Clementine Hall
It was a monumental night for Manchester as the BRIT Awards 2026 were held at the Co-op Live Arena for the first time.
If you’ve been around Manchester over the past couple of months then there’s no doubt you’ll have been caught up in the BRITS buzz.
First launched in 1977, it’s the first time the awards have been held outside of London and we may be biased, but we reckon it’s the best decision they’ve ever made.
In the lead up to the awards, the city welcomed a whole host of special gigs as part of BRITS Week in aid of War Child.
Images: The Manc Group
I was lucky enough to see the incredibly talented Olivia Dean at the Albert Hall as part of it, whilst DJ Josh Baker took over the Pink Room in YES and The K’s took to the stage at Gorilla.
So it’s safe to say that when the actual award ceremony came around, the city was ready and raring to go.
Kicking off the show was of course Cheshire’s own Harry Styles, performing his return single ‘Aperture’ in a crisp white shirt, tie and work trousers. Not what you’d usually expect Mr Styles to be rocking, but it certainly worked and there was enough screams from the crowd to prove it.
It was an electric start to the ceremony, with everybody on their feet two-stepping to the tune which has dominated the charts over the past couple of weeks.
The entire evening was stuffed to the brim with captivating performances, from Dua Lipa’s surprise entrance on a disco ball to celebrate the achievements of Mark Ronson to James Blunt playing the piano for Alex Warren (yes, really).
A standout moment for me was the magnificent Rosalía who performed ‘Berghain’ in front of a huge string section and vocal choir. And as if that wasn’t enough, she then proceeded to welcome the utter legend that is Björk on stage. Just ridiculous really.
A truly magnetic and vocally impressive performance that proved why, amongst other things, she went on to bag the Brit award for International Artist of the Year that evening.
There was one lady though who completely dominated the night and that, of course, is Olivia Dean.
The woman of the hour scooped up four BRIT awards including Album of the Year and Artist of the Year, and do you know what? We can’t think of anyone more deserving.
A true class act that has put the graft in and deserves her flowers, her performance of global hit ‘Man I Need’ on the night was one we’ll be watching again and again for years to come.
Noel Gallagher was awarded Songwriter of the Year and shocked the masses when he thanked his brother whilst accepting the award, whilst Tim Burgess led a touching tribute to legendary Stone Roses bassist Mani who sadly passed away at the end of last year.
The entire evening felt like a real love letter to Manchester, and whilst Jack Whitehall may have poked fun at us whilst hosting it actually made us even prouder to call this wonderful city our home.
The BRIT Awards it was lovely to have you, and we’ll see you again next year.
A beautifully chaotic Thursday night – Rossi. at YES Pink Room for BRITs Week 2026 for War Child | Review
Harry Quick
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.
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.
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.
Daisy Jackson -
7th February 2022 
