Lead
The Brits Awards red carpet unfolded on Saturday evening at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena, the first time the ceremony has left London in its 50-year history. International and homegrown stars arrived in show-stopping looks, from Harry Styles’s pinstripe suit to Olivia Dean’s yellow floor-length gown. High-profile nominees including Lola Young, Rosalía, Wet Leg and Skepta joined industry veterans and surprise guests on the carpet. The arrivals set the tone ahead of the night’s performances and awards.
Key Takeaways
- The Brits staged its first Manchester ceremony after 50 years in London, with the red carpet at Co-op Live Arena drawing major acts.
- Harry Styles returned to the Brits red carpet three years after his last appearance and is a week away from releasing his fourth studio album, Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally.
- Olivia Dean, nominated in top categories including album and song of the year, chose a yellow, floor-length gown reflecting her elegant red-carpet style.
- Lola Young is up for song and artist of the year and wore a green leather peplum top with snake-print trousers on arrival.
- Groups Wet Leg and Wolf Alice appeared in coordinated outfits; Wet Leg is nominated for group of the year and alternative/rock act.
- Skepta is nominated for best song and best dance act for “Victory Lap” and his work with Fred again….
- International acts on the carpet included Rosalía (feather dress by Chanel), Rosé (BLACKPINK), Tems, and CMAT, who wore a tartan look.
- Jeff Goldblum made a surprise appearance and told the BBC his fifth album with The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra is coming soon.
Background
The Brits Awards have been a focal point of the UK music calendar for five decades, traditionally staged in London. Organisers opted to relocate this edition to Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena, citing a change of venue for the milestone show; the move marked the first time the ceremony has been held outside the capital in 50 years. That decision drew additional attention to the red carpet, where media and fans closely watch fashion choices as much as nominees.
Red carpet arrivals often serve multiple functions: they preview setlist possibilities, highlight cultural crossovers and amplify nomination narratives. This year’s carpet mixed established icons with rising acts and international stars, illustrating the Brits’ continued role in showcasing a broad spectrum of popular music. Key stakeholders at the event included nominees, performers, record-label reps and creative teams who use the carpet for publicity ahead of the broadcast.
Main Event
Arrivals on Saturday evening reflected a varied fashion register. Olivia Dean, one of the ceremony’s most-nominated artists, opted for a classic, floor-length yellow gown; her look reinforced a poised red-carpet identity aligned with her critical momentum. Harry Styles, billed as one of the evening’s most-anticipated performers, arrived in a disco-approved pinstripe suit; his appearance came one week before his fourth studio album release.
Other standout looks included Maya Jama in an all-white glittery dress and flowing fur shawl, and Lola Young in a green leather peplum top paired with snake-print trousers. Skepta brought a signature leather jacket-and-bag combo north from London, while Tems appeared in an elegant white outfit. Rosalía celebrated with an ornate feather dress by Chanel, and Rosé kept her look simple in a black bow dress that complemented her ice-blonde hair.
Groups and duos took coordinated approaches: Wet Leg and Wolf Alice arrived in matching ensembles, and Kelly and Sharon Osbourne appeared in coordinated black outfits as they attended a tribute segment for Ozzy Osbourne. The red carpet also included surprise cultural crossovers, such as Jeff Goldblum announcing upcoming music plans with his jazz band, and Shaun Ryder and Mark “Bez” Berry of the Happy Mondays making a nostalgic appearance.
Analysis & Implications
The move to Manchester signals a tactical shift for the Brits, aiming to refresh the ceremony’s geographic and cultural footprint while engaging audiences outside London. Hosting the red carpet and ceremony at Co-op Live Arena may broaden local economic impact, increase regional media coverage and reposition the awards as UK-wide rather than London-centric. For artists, the change of venue creates fresh publicity windows and new local engagement opportunities.
Fashion on the carpet continues to be a strategic platform for artists and stylists to craft narratives around releases and nominations. Olivia Dean’s classic gown and Harry Styles’s retro pinstripes were as much statements about artistic identity as they were about trend. For nominees, red-carpet coverage amplifies streaming and playlist visibility in the days around the ceremony, making wardrobe choices part of broader promotional campaigns.
International presence — from Rosalía to Rosé and Tems — underscores the Brits’ sustained global reach even as the event highlights domestic talent. Nominations spanning mainstream pop, alternative rock and international categories reflect the ceremony’s eclecticism, which may influence booking and crossover collaborations. For the industry, the awards remain a marketplace moment where label priorities, festival bookings and media narratives converge in real time.
Comparison & Data
| Aspect | Past (London) | 2026 (Manchester) |
|---|---|---|
| Venue history | Hosted in London for 50 years | First edition held at Co-op Live Arena |
| Notable returns | Regular London-based red carpet tradition | High-profile global and domestic arrivals, including Harry Styles and Rosalía |
| Fashion focus | Established platform for couture and emerging designers | Continued emphasis on coordinated and statement looks |
The table highlights the symbolic shift from a London-rooted event to a Manchester-hosted edition, while the red carpet’s function as a fashion and publicity forum remains unchanged. Though the venue changed, the concentration of high-profile arrivals and nominations maintained the awards’ national and international relevance. Organisers and industry observers will watch whether the move prompts a longer-term rotational model or a one-off milestone.
Reactions & Quotes
“My fifth album is coming out soon — I can’t wait to tour it around the UK.”
Jeff Goldblum, to the BBC (musician)
Goldblum’s surprise appearance underscored the red carpet’s role as a space for cross-genre announcements and publicity beyond the mainstream pop spotlight.
“This outfit is straight from Nigeria — I wanted to honour my father’s heritage tonight.”
Kwn, red carpet interview (nominee)
Kwn’s remark framed the red carpet as an opportunity to celebrate personal and cultural identity, a recurring theme among several arrivals.
“Moving the Brits to Manchester — what a coincidence, I moved here too!”
Maya Jama (social media)
Maya Jama’s light-hearted comment on social media added a local-interest angle to the venue shift, drawing attention to Manchester’s growing profile as an events hub.
Unconfirmed
- Complete winners list was not available at the time of the red carpet reporting; final award outcomes require confirmation from the broadcast or official announcement.
- Details of full set lists and specific performance run orders for tonight’s broadcast remain unverified until the show airs.
- The background and public profile of the artist listed as “Sombr” was not clarified in on-the-carpet reports and may require verification of spelling or stage identity.
Bottom Line
The Brits’ move to Manchester produced a red carpet that combined spectacle with strategic publicity: high fashion, cross-genre representation and headline-making names. For nominees such as Olivia Dean and Lola Young, the carpet amplified narratives built around recent releases and nominations; for international acts and surprise guests, it provided a platform to reach UK audiences in a focused moment.
Longer term, the Manchester edition will be evaluated on audience figures, industry reaction and whether it spurs similar geographic rotations. In the immediate term, the red carpet offered a concentrated snapshot of the UK music scene’s diversity and the continuing importance of visual presentation in music promotion.
Sources
- BBC News — media report with red carpet coverage and photographer credits (primary source).
- Getty Images — photography agency supplying red-carpet images cited in coverage (photography).
- Reuters — news agency photo and reporting contributions noted in coverage (news agency).