The BRIT Awards to leave London for the first time and move to Manchester

There's big news for music fans, as for the first-time ever The BRIT Awards with Mastercard will move to a new venue outside of London. After almost fifty years in London, the iconic celebration of music will move to Manchester's Co-op Live in 2026 and 2027.

We now have a date for next year's celebration, which will take place on Saturday 28th February and broadcast exclusively on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player. Mastercard will continue their long-standing headline sponsorship, which is now in its 28th year.

Why are The BRIT Awards with Mastercard moving to Manchester?

2026 will be the first of three years under the stewardship of Sony Music UK, who spearheaded the move to Manchester, Jason Iley MBE, Chairman and CEO, Sony Music UK and Ireland said: “This is a very exciting time for The BRIT Awards. Moving to Manchester, the home of some of the most iconic and defining artists of our lifetime, will invigorate the show and build on the BRITs legacy of celebrating and reinvesting in world-class music.

"Hosting the show in Manchester, with its vibrant cultural history, perfectly captures the spirit and energy of the BRIT Awards. I can’t wait to see the show at the amazing state-of-the art Co-op Live venue.”

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester said: “For The BRIT Awards to move out of London is a massive coup for Greater Manchester. After 48 years, it is great that this prestigious global event is about to arrive in the UK capital of music and culture.

"Greater Manchester has an unparalleled music heritage known around the world, and this summer will play host to some of the biggest gigs on the planet. That was only made possible by our strong commitment to new talent and giving emerging artists the opportunities to make their name. We thank our friends at the BPI for choosing Manchester and we will pull out all the stops to show they made the right decision.

"Celebrating the BRIT Awards right here in the home of 24 hour party people is the next chapter in its story and you can be sure that we will help them do it in style.”

When will The BRIT Awards 2026 take place?

Remember, you can catch all the action on Saturday 28th February. Bring on 2026!

What venue will the awards take place in for 2026 and 2027?

The BRIT Awards moving to Manchester will mark another milestone in the journey of Co-op Live, the UK’s newest live entertainment arena, that opened just over a year ago. The venue opened on 14th May 2024 and is situated in the Etihad Campus, next to the City of Manchester Stadium.

The BRIT Awards 2025 recap

The 2025 BRIT Awards, hosted by Jack Whitehall, saw The BRITs go brat with Charli xcx taking home the highest number of awards with her five wins, with other BRIT Award wins going to artists including Sabrina Carpenter, Stormzy, and Myles Smith.

There were also incredible performances from JADE, Teddy Swims, Myles Smith, Sabrina Carpenter, Sam Fender, Lola Young, and Ezra Collective and Jorja Smith You can watch back The BRIT Award 2025 performances here.

Which artists won a BRIT Award in 2025?

Charli xcx won a huge five awards and JADE won her first solo BRIT, taking home an award for Pop Act. Other winners included Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and RAYE.

Now read:

Who were the BRIT Awards 2025 nominees?

Who won awards at The BRIT Awards 2025?

The most successful BRIT Award winners of all time

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