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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Noah Kahan begs fans to ‘just go to the bathroom’ ahead of Manchester shows
Daisy Jackson
Noah Kahan has had to issue a bizarre warning on concert etiquette ahead of his UK tour, after a fan apparently defecated on the floor at his show.
The Stick Season singer-songwriter, who will headline two massive gigs in Manchester this year, has begged his fans to ‘just go to the bathroom lmao’.
He’s had to speak out after videos circulated online that appeared to show human faeces beneath a chair and in the walkway at one of his US gigs.
According to witnesses at his Philadelphia show, one concert-goer relieved themselves onto the floor, then tried to kick the faeces under the seat in front.
Noah Kahan has now released a statement online that says: “If you have to poop at a show please dear god just go to the bathroom lmao.
“I’ve pooped my pants as much as the next 29 year old but you guys gotta understand there’s a venue worker out there with a 1000 yard stare after dealing with that.”
The star has since gone one step further, and addressed the poop incident on stage in Toronto.
He told fans inside the venue: “This is awkward. When you enter this building, you enter a social contract, right?
“And rule number two besides ‘don’t literally f**king kill each other’, is ‘don’t s**t on the floor’.
“So we’re gonna do some therapy type thing where we all repeat after me, okay?”
He then led the crowd to repeat the following chant: “I solemnly swear, I will not s**t my pants, and if I do, I won’t take it from my pants and put it on the floor.”
Indie legends Two Door Cinema Club announce arena show in Manchester
Daisy Jackson
Indie legends Two Door Cinema Club have announced their first arena headline tour in seven years, with a huge night in Manchester.
The group will be celebrating 15 years since the release of their seminal debut album, Tourist History.
And they’ll be playing that album in full, along with some of their greatest hits, when they hit the road next year.
Two Door Cinema Club have included a night at the AO Arena in Manchester on the tour, which will also visit Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow and London.
The trio will be calling on some big names to support them for their five arena gigs – Circa Waves and Arkayla will support in Glasgow, Manchester and London, with The Royston Club joining them for the rest.
Fans can expect to hear timeless indie anthems from Tourist History, including ‘What You Know’, ‘Something Good Can Work’, ‘Undercover Martyn’, and ‘I Can Talk’.
Speaking on the tour, the band said: “It’s been over seven years since we’ve done a UK and Ireland tour.
“Each and every one of these cities holds a special place in our hearts, we’ve played almost every venue there is to play in each of them, now it’s time for the big ones. We can’t wait.”
The news comes off the back of a massive sold-out gig at Crystal Palace Park last week, where they played to 25,000 fans, as well as a headline performance at Madison Square Gardens.
Fan presale will begin from 9am on Wednesday 1 July, before general sale stars on Friday 3 July – you can get tickets HERE.
Clementine Hall -
1st March 2026 
