The BRIT Awards have always been a spectacle, sometimes chaotic, the occasional controversy, and often a little raucous, as you’d expect when you pack a room full of mega famous musicians.
Who could forget Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker famously bending over to wave his arse on national TV while Michael Jackson was midway through belting out Earth Song back in 1996?
Yet for decades, the famous music ceremony has always called London home but that’s about to change. In just over two weeks, Harry Styles, Olivia Dean, Wolf Alice and many more will descend on Manchester as the BRITs take over Co-op Live, leaving the capital for the first time in the ceremony’s near 50-year history.
It’s not just a one-off either. Part of a two-year deal with the BPI, the organisation that runs the BRIT Awards, means the ceremony will also return to Co-op Live in 2027 to mark the BRITs’ big 50th anniversary.
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“For 48 years, the BRITs have been in London. The view in the industry has always been that it’s a London event and it will never leave there,” Guy Dunstan, general manager and senior vice president of Co-op Live, tells Prolific North.
“So, for us to be able to bring it here in its 49th year, and then celebrate the 50th year in 2027, it’s just a phenomenal coup for the city. It’s also a demonstration of what we do have as a city, as a region, and that we can support and deliver an event of this scale.”
Although the ceremony isn’t until Saturday 28 February, calling Dunstan busy would be an understatement. He reels off how the venue is already buzzing with activity with other headline shows lined up this month from the likes of Florence + the Machine, Raye, and James Arthur.
“We’ve got loads of things going on, from all the planning and liaising on those events to getting ready and prepared for the BRITs and the BPI.”
But in reality, preparations for the BRITs have been underway for months.
“It’s in full swing!” he says. “When we talk about the event being weeks away, it actually feels more like a week. We’ve been getting everything prepared for when the BRITs move into the campus and from the 16 February, they’ll start building infrastructure in the outer areas across the campus and then on the week of the event, they’ll take over the arena.”
From the backstage artist village giving the venue a ‘VIP feel’ to coordinating with Manchester City Council, Marketing Manchester, and Transport for Greater Manchester on transport and emergency services, “months and months” of planning and meetings have gone into preparing everything for the big day.
“We’re now getting into the final details. It’s a massive exercise, from building all the infrastructure to prepping for rehearsals and the show itself, right up to the day of the event,” he explains.
But if there’s one thing Dunstan has learnt since joining Co-op Live in October 2024, it’s that Manchester doesn’t do things in isolation.
“We couldn’t do this alone. We needed a joined-up approach with the council, the Combined Authority, Marketing Manchester, and Manchester Accommodation BID,” he says.
“When we started talking to the BPI about bringing the show to Manchester, they came to see the venue and loved it. They could see we had the infrastructure, facilities, capacity, tables for all the VIPs, and the scale needed to accommodate what is a huge production.”
And he believes that unity across Manchester is what persuaded the BPI that the BRITs could and should leave the capital.
“That was the starting point, that there’s a venue in Manchester that can deliver the event. But very quickly, we had to bring all those stakeholders in to demonstrate that we, as a city and a destination, have the appetite, the leadership, experience and expertise to deliver the event. That started driving it forwards really quickly.”
And he’s already starting to feel the “buzz” in the city’s streets.
“When I came into the city for the announcement party a couple of weeks ago, you could see the billboards, the dressing, the presence – it’s all starting to come to life.
“By the time we get to the week itself, it’s going to be all about the BRITs. As we saw during the Oasis shows last summer, there’s going to be this phenomenal buzz and sense of anticipation that will culminate on 28 February when we put on the show.”
Not just one night
The excitement doesn’t stop with the awards. Manchester will also host the inaugural BRITs Fringe, a week-long programme led by local music development organisation Brighter Sound, to showcase emerging talent in the lead up to the ceremony.
Kirsty Fairclough, Professor of Screen Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University’s School of Digital Arts (SODA), sits on the BRITs Fringe steering group and the Greater Manchester Music Commission. She says hosting the BRITs is “the right next step” for the city.
“It’s an exciting platform to showcase what we do on a global stage, not just for the national and internationally known artists, but also about amplifying what we do in the city from elevating local voices, grassroots creativity and the emerging talent within Greater Manchester’s music industry,” she explains.
“Manchester has always been cool, there’s a perception now that it’s cooler than ever. Last year we had that massive summer of music, with so much going on from Oasis to all the big gigs. We’re really thriving as a city region and that’s what’s really being noticed.”
Students at SODA won’t just be watching from the sidelines. They’ll also be taking part in some of the fringe events, including BRITS Fringe: First Steps, where they can showcase their own work, receive mentoring sessions and feedback from industry heavyweights. Fairclough has also been working behind the scenes to confirm paid opportunities for students to work on the show itself too.
As for the big day, she laughs that the BRITs have always been a bit “raucous”, referencing how Andy Burnham recently said it will “probably be the biggest party we’ve ever had”.
What’s next for Co-op Live
Back at Co-op Live, as soon as the BRIT Awards come and go, there’s plenty more big events the team are gearing up for.
Dunstan teases that he’s been having plenty of discussions behind the scenes and there are going to be “lots” more big announcements coming up in the near future.
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“We’ve got the MOBO Awards the month after in March, so we’re going from one major awards event to another one,” he says.
“There’s a huge amount involved and it takes a great deal of planning, liaison and logistics. But I’ve got an amazing team who are highly skilled and really experienced, this is what they do day-to-day.”
And Harry Styles is not only performing at the BRITs, he will also be back the following week for a one-night-only show, where fans were able to bag £20 tickets.
“That is just a phenomenal coup for us as a venue because yes, he’s doing his outdoor gigs in the summer but he’s chosen Co-op Live to play his one and only indoor gig to launch his album.
“It’s been the biggest secret in town until the news was announced and it was a really short turnaround. From the BRITs to Harry Styles, it’s going to be such a massive week for us not just at Co-op Live, but for Manchester.”
