Morehuge names have been added to the line-up of intimate charity shows ahead of the BRIT Awards coming to Manchester.
BRITs Week 26 for War Child will see major artists playing their most intimate shows, taking over grassroots venues across the UK.
These exclusive shows are in aid of War Child, to help fund aid, education, and specialist mental health support for the rights of children whose lives have been affected by war.
Already announced are Fatboy Slim, Myles Smith, and Josh Baker who will be performing at intimate venues in cities such as Manchester, Nottingham, and Newcastle.
And now, another wave of acts have been announced for BRITs Week 26 including the lady of the moment, Olivia Dean, who will be performing at the Albert Hall.
ADVERTISEMENT
Image: The Manc Group
Also joining the gig series is Spiritualized who will be taking to the stage in London, and The K’s who will be performing at our very own Gorilla.
The gig series, delivered by DHL, will be the biggest yet and offers fans a chance to see one-off performances from some of the most exciting names in music in smaller, iconic venues, with all proceeds going towards War Child’s vital work.
ADVERTISEMENT
BRITs Week will take place around The BRIT Awards 2026 with Mastercard, taking place on Saturday 28 February at the Co-op Live – the first time in the awards’ 50-year-history that it’s left the capital city behind.
The very special opening night show on 12 February will see Grammy Award-winning Fatboy Slim performing at the Boiler Shop in Newcastle.
And up here in Manchester, War Child has teamed up with The Warehouse Project to put on two nights at YES – one with Mixmag’s Year Defining DJ Josh Baker, and the other with DJ Mag’s One to Watch Rossi.
ADVERTISEMENT
The full lineup for BRITs Week 26 for War Child is below
12th February – Fatboy Slim – Boiler Shop, Newcastle, supported by Max Jones
16th February – Lambrini Girls – The Garage, London, supported by Bimini
18th February – Spiritualized – EartH Theatre, London
20th February – The K’s – Gorilla, Manchester
24th February – Myles Smith – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, supported by Saint Raymond
25th February – Jack Savoretti and Katherine Jenkins OBE – Emerald Theatre, London, supported by Gabriella Cilmi
25th February – kwn – Patterns, Brighton, supported by CARI
25th February – Josh Baker – YES, Manchester, supported by Deliah and Alexandria
26th February – Rossi. – YES, Manchester, supported by Olive F
26th February – Olivia Dean – Albert Hall, Manchester
27th February – Jacob Alon – Music Hall at Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh
Clare Sanders-Wright, Head of Live Music at War Child, said,“This year’s BRITs Week shows are off to yet another brilliant start and we’re thrilled to add these new names, including three more headliners in Olivia Dean, Spiritualized, and The K’s to our lineup as well as some really exciting support acts for the gigs.
“BRITs Week for War Child wouldn’t be possible without the incredible generosity of the artists, their teams, and our partners, including DHL and we couldn’t be more grateful. 20% of the world’s children are living through conflict right now, and the money raised from these unforgettable shows will help War Child continue our vital work to protect, educate and stand up for as many of these children as possible. Because no child should be a part of war. Ever.”
Fans can sign up to the War Child pre-sale HERE, which closes at 3pm Wednesday 28 January. Pre-sale begins 10am on Thursday 15 January.
General on-sale begins at 10am on Friday 30th January HERE.
There are also £10 prize draws to win tickets to all shows open HERE.
PinkPantheress named the youngest ever recipient of the BRIT Awards 2026 Producer of the Year Award
Clementine Hall
The BRIT Awards 2026 has announced that multi-platinum recording artist, songwriter and producer PinkPantheress is the recipient of this year’s Producer of the Year Award.
The award is decided by a group of expert judges from the music production sector, and has previously been presented to an incredibly selection of British producers including Paul Epworth, Calvin Harris, Fred again.., and last year’s winner, A. G. Cook.
At just 24 years old, PinkPantheress will be the youngest ever recipient of this coveted award, which recognises the excellence of her work in music production.
She is also the first woman to be presented with the honour.
As well as taking home Producer of the Year, PinkPantheress is also nominated for two further awards, for Artist of the Year and Dance Act.
The BRIT Awards are coming to Manchester for the first time in its history in 2026 / Credit: ITV / BRITs / Co-op Live
PinkPantheress spoke about winning the award: “As the first woman to win this award, I’m grateful to be recognised. My music production is the thing I’m proudest of, and I’ve worked really hard at it, so I hope this inspires others to pursue their passion.”
Stacey Tang, Chair of the 2026 BRIT Awards Committee and Co-President of RCA Records at Sony Music UK said: “PinkPantheress is both an inventive and instinctive voice in British pop right now. As a producer, she’s precise and playful, building bold, boundary expanding sounds that travel beyond the UK.
“She’s quietly reshaping what modern pop can be, and in doing so, opening the door for a new wave of female producers to step forward. Celebrating her at the BRITs is both timely and significant.”
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.
This year’s incredible line-up of artists include Harry Styles, Olivia Dean, EJAE, Audrey Nuna and REI AMI, the singing voices of HUNTR/X, Wolf Alice, Mark Ronson, ROSALÍA, Alex Warren and SOMBR.
Rising heavy metal band Spiritbox announce biggest-ever Manchester gig
Danny Jones
Rising rock band Spiritbox have just announced their first-ever Manchester arena gig, which will be their largest show to date in the city.
Listing a number of UK shows on their upcoming European leg, which is set to be the biggest headline tour of their career thus far, the British Columbians are on fire right now.
As one of the hottest heavy, progressive and metalcore outfits on the planet at the moment, Spiritbox were founded back in 2017 and have gone on to generate one of the fastest-growing global followings in the alternative scene.
Now nearly a decade into their career, they’re returning to Britain for some truly massive dates – including a fair few maiden visits to some huge venues.
JUST ANNOUNCED: Spiritbox Wednesday 16 September
They bring their biggest UK headline show yet to Co-op Live.https://t.co/LNtmWDYoYT@coopuk members get first in line for tickets. Co-op Member Presale: 10:00 Wednesday 25 February General Sale: 10:00 Friday 27 February pic.twitter.com/Hvos7mfqEa
Fronted by the incredibly versatile vocals of lead singer Courtney LaPlante, Spiritbox started out as a duo – after Courtney and guitarist Mike Stringer left their former band, ‘Iwrestledabearonce‘ – but have now doubled in terms of personnel.
Now flanked by bassist Josh Gilbert and drummer Zev Rose, the pair have turned the group into an absolute powerhouse, with a big fan base not only in North America but across mainland Europe as well.
The ferocious four-piece finally dropped their second studio LP, Tsunami Sea, last March, following the success of their hugely popular first album, Eternal Blue, back in September 2021.
It’s been a whirlwind journey since that breakout record, having since gone on to play some of the biggest festival stages around, including Reading and Leeds, Download and the Rock am Ring (Nürburgring) in Germany.
Being joined by Ukrainian contemporaries Jinjer and their US metalcore cousins Dying Wish throughout the run, it’s going to be an absolute rager.
Set to support their most recent release, there’ll be a lot of their sophomore outing in the setlist, but you can guarantee all of their biggest hits on the night, too.
Coming to Co-op Live for an inaugural performance on 16 September, Co-op members get early access as usual, but Spiritbox fans can also sign up to presale via their dedicated mailing list.
As for general admission tickets, as you can see above, they will be made available from 10am this Friday, 27 February.
Oh, and speaking of Canadian artists, they’re not the only big rock band making their Co-op Live debut -only this lot have been around for more than five decades…