Brit Awards 2026: When And Where Is It, And Who Are The Performers And Nominees?

The biggest night in British music is almost upon us – and judging from this year’s guestlist, we reckon it’s going to be a pretty jam-packed one.

Between A-list nominees, incredible guest performers and the winners who’ve already been announced, it’s a fair bet that the always-chaotic Brits ceremony could deliver on one or two moments guaranteed to have us all talking the next day.

And so, with just hours to go until the fun begins, here’s your quick guide to the 2026 Brit Awards…

Since 2011, London’s O2 Arena has been the home of the Brit Awards, but this time around, organisers are doing things a little differently.

For the first time in Brits history, the ceremony is moving out of the capital to Manchester, where the newly-opened Co-Op Live arena will be the home of this year’s Brits action, as part of a new two-year deal.

The ceremony is due to take place on Saturday 28 February from around 8.15pm.

As always, the Brits will be shown on ITV1 – and the ceremony will be airing live on Saturday night, so fans can tune in to watch all the action as it happens.

The CEO of the BPI, the organisation behind the Brit Awards, announced last year: “The Brit Awards have helped to tell the story of British music in all its brilliant diversity, capturing some of its most memorable moments, and this groundbreaking move to Manchester will only add to its rich legacy.

“This exciting new chapter celebrates not only the city’s exceptional musical heritage and its status as a powerhouse of British creativity, but the great depth of artistic energy and potential that exists all across the UK.

“I feel sure it will fire the imagination of fans, artists and the wider music community alike, and we look forward to sharing the experience with them.”

Jack Whitehall is back on presenting duties once again.

This year’s Brits will mark Jack’s third consecutive year hosting, and sixth time overall.

During his tenure fronting the Brit Awards, the comic has become known for his irreverent style, although this hasn’t always sat well with the celebrities in attendance – or, for that matter, viewers watching from home.

While Jack will be hosting the main ceremony, Charley Marlowe and Tyler West will be presenting live red carpet coverage across the Brits’ social media channels before the event gets underway.

Album Of The Year nominees Olivia Dean and Wolf Alice will be performing during the ceremony, with Harry Styles and Raye also set to give fans a taste of their upcoming new albums.

As for international performers, Rosalía, Alex Warren and Sombr will all be taking to the stage, with a special pre-recorded number from KPop Demon Hunters singers Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami also forming part of the broadcast.

Meanwhile, Mark Ronson is expected to close the show after being honoured with the prestigious Outstanding Contribution To Music title.

According to The Sun, his performance is expected to feature guest appearances from artists he’s worked with over the years, including Lily Allen and Dua Lipa, though this remains unconfirmed for now.

When it comes to nominations, Olivia Dean and Lola Young are leading the way in 2026, with four each.

Interestingly, they’re also both fresh from wins at the Grammy, where Olivia picked up Best New Artist and Lola beat some huge names to pick up the Best Pop Solo Performance prize.

Besides those two, Sam Fender has four nominations to his name this year, following his victory at last year’s Mercury Prize, while Dave, Fred Again.., Lily Allen, Jim Legacy and Wolf Alice are all on three.

The top award of the night, Album Of The Year, is a five-way race between Dave, Lily Allen, Olivia Dean, Sam Fender and Wolf Alice, and this is one we could imagine going any number of ways.

Check out our round-up of all of this year’s Brit Awards nominees here.

This might seem like a strange question to be answering ahead of the ceremony, but actually, a number of winners have already been confirmed.

As well as Mark’s Outstanding Contribution title, Jacob Alon is the recipient of the Critics’ Choice Award, which recognises emerging talent, while PinkPantheress has become the first woman – and youngest person ever – to be named Producer Of The Year.

Noel Gallagher is also set to be named Songwriter Of The Year, in a somewhat controversial move given that he didn’t actually release any new music in 2025.