Inside Warner’s wild BRITs bash with a Manchester nineties rave theme and a family reunion on the dancefloor for Dua Lipa

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Dua Lipa surprised fans at the 2026 BRIT Awards in Manchester with an unexpected performance at the Co-Op Live arena on Saturday.

The pop star, age 30, really relaxed and had fun at the after-party following the Warner event, spending the evening with her family and her longtime friend, Sarah Lysander.

Dua Lipa spent the night dancing with her father, Dukagjin, 56, and her siblings – brother Gjin, 20, and sister Rina, 24 – at a glamorous event held at The Cut & Craft.

Despite her fiancé, Callum Turner, being absent, the singer Dua Lipa and her family danced and enjoyed themselves until late into the night.

The party’s theme drew inspiration from the famous 1990s rave culture depicted in the Manchester-based film, 24 Hour Party People, but with a fun and creative spin.

The legendary 90s rave scene was transformed with a playful, over-the-top design. The room featured poodle-patterned carpets, huge inflatable poodles, and captivating lights and sound provided by L-Acoustics.

The Lipa family cheered on their youngest brother, Gjin, as he started the night with a fantastic DJ set for a crowd full of stars.

Dua, visibly proud, was seen snapping pictures of her brother’s performance with her phone.

Later, Dua and best pal Sarah, who is an influencer, captured the night by posing for a series of fun selfies while standing by the DJ booth.

Dua Lipa looked stunning in a black corset and skirt, while Sarah wore a red and black floral dress. Dua’s father stood out in a leather jacket, and both Gjin and Rina chose all-black outfits.

Guests enjoyed personalized Hennessy cocktails and a variety of Manchester-themed appetizers, like mini burgers, finger sandwiches, and lamb croquettes.

I was so excited to see not only Dua’s brother perform, but also an amazing lineup of DJs! Kim Turnbull, Romeo Beckham’s girlfriend, was there, along with G2, Tommy Gold, and the legendary Groove Armada. It was a fantastic night for music!

Earlier that night, Dua Lipa performed her popular songs “Dance The Night” and “Electricity” with producer Mark Ronson, age 50, on stage.

Mark, a ten-time Grammy winner, was honored with the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award and then performed for the audience.

The BRIT Awards were held at Manchester’s Co-op Live Arena for the first time ever this past Saturday, marking the 46th year of the event.

Olivia Dean had a fantastic night, winning all four awards she was up for!

The British singer and songwriter, 26, won Best Artist, Best Album, Best Song and Best Pop Act.

Olivia Rodrigo received two nominations for Song of the Year. She was nominated for both her single, “Man I Need,” and “Rein Me In,” a collaboration with Sam Fender, which ultimately won the award.

Olivia, age 26, achieved a rare feat in 2025: she was the first female artist since Adele in 2021 to simultaneously top the UK charts with both a single (“Man I Need”) and an album (“The Art Of Loving”).

It was a completely different night for Lily Allen who didn’t take home any awards.

Lily Allen’s fifth album, West End Girl, was a big hit last year, but she didn’t win any of the major awards – Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, or Best Pop Act – losing out to Miss Dean in each category.

The 40-year-old singer’s new album explores the breakdown of her marriage to David Harbour, 50, from the show Stranger Things, and reveals details about a reported affair he had with someone named Madeline during their relationship.

Although nominated for a BRIT Award eight times before, the singer of ‘Not Fair’ has only won once and wasn’t present at this year’s event.

Noel Gallagher, a 58-year-old musician from Manchester, received the Songwriter of the Year award this year. This recognition comes after he rejoined his brother Liam for a hugely successful Oasis reunion tour.

Sharon Osbourne, age 73, accepted a lifetime achievement award on stage for her husband, Ozzy Osbourne, who sadly passed away recently. The award was presented by the BRITs.

With support from her daughter, Kelly, 41, the TV personality delivered a touching tribute, describing her partner as incredibly talented, delightfully unpredictable, and a true artist – a real wild man at heart.

Born and raised in a working-class area of Birmingham, he achieved incredible success as a musician, becoming widely known and highly regarded. Throughout his career, he consistently strived for improvement and never settled for less.

He was a fascinating paradox – incredibly arrogant yet surprisingly down-to-earth. Despite his worldwide fame, Ozzy always remained a true rock star at heart. He never forgot his roots and was immensely proud of his working-class upbringing in Birmingham, England, no matter where his life took him.

Oh my gosh, the finale was incredible! It was this huge rock tribute, absolutely everything to honor Ozzy, who we lost last July. It was so moving, I couldn’t stop thinking about him the whole time. Seriously, a perfect way to close the show.

This rendition of ‘No More Tears’ was a unique performance of the hit song from Ozzy Osbourne’s hugely successful 1991 album, and was specially arranged by Sharon Osbourne.

The show included musicians who had previously played with Ozzy Osbourne – Adam Wakeman, Robert Trujillo, Tommy Clufetos, and Zakk Wylde. Robbie Williams led the performance, having been personally invited by Sharon Osbourne as a longtime fan and friend of the family.

Lola Young, a 24-year-old nominated for five awards, won the breakthrough artist award after a difficult period.

This new release follows a break from music for the 25-year-old artist, who worried fans when she fainted during a performance in New York back in September.

She ended her tour early to focus on her well-being, but recently returned to performing and accepted an award last night.

Dave, a 27-year-old British rapper, recently won a Hip Hop award following the release of his third album, ‘The Boy Who Played The Harp,’ late last year.

Fred Again.. (Fred Gibson), Skepta, and PlaqueBoyMax won the Dance award, and Sam Fender was named best in the Rock category.

Mark Ronson, the acclaimed musician and producer who has won ten Grammy Awards, was honored with the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award and then performed live.

SAULT won the R&B award, Jacob Alon received the Critics Choice award, and PinkPanthress was named Producer of the Year.

Geese was named Best International Group, and RosalĂ­a won Best International Artist. ROSE and Bruno Mars jointly received the award for International Song of the Year.

Rosé and Bruno Mars won International Song of the Year for their collaboration, APT. Rosé was present at the awards ceremony to accept the award.

Wolf Alice took home the Group of the Year award thanks to the popularity of their latest album, The Clearing.

Ellie Roswell, the singer for Wolf Alice, said the band wanted to give this award to everyone who supported them when they were first starting out.

American rock band Geese won International Group of the Year, their first BRIT award.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m always thrilled to see incredible talent recognized! I was so excited to learn that RosalĂ­a took home the International Artist of the Year award. She really shined amongst some major names – can you believe she beat out Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, and Lady Gaga? A fantastic achievement!

Harry Styles performed live on stage only a week before the release of his new album, ‘Kiss All The Time, Disco, Occasionally’.

Raye, a seven-time BRIT Award winner, performed her popular song “Where Is My Husband,” which was up for Song of the Year.

Performances also included Wolf Alice, ROSALIA, Alex Warren, SOMBR, RAYE, EJAE, Audrey Nuna, REI AMI, and the vocalists from HUNTR/X, the popular KPop Demon Hunters series on Netflix.

For over a decade, the BRIT Awards have taken place each year at London’s O2 Arena. However, the Daily Mail reports that this year’s ceremony, considered the most important event in British music, will be held in Manchester. Organizers are also planning to move the show to different cities across the UK in the years to come.

Jack Whitehall hosted the awards ceremony for the sixth time. He’s previously presented the event in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2025.

He left the show in 2022, with Mo Gilligan hosting for the next two years. In 2024, Maya Jama, Roman Kemp, and Clara Amfo all co-hosted the event.

It was Whitehall’s first time performing in Manchester, a city he feels played a big part in developing his comedy skills. He studied at The University of Manchester, which helped shape his early career.

The 2026 event marked the beginning of a three-year partnership with Sony Music UK, who were responsible for relocating the event to Manchester.

The event has been held at many iconic locations over the years, including Earl’s Court, the London Arena, Alexandra Palace, Hammersmith Apollo, the Dominion Theatre, the Royal Albert Hall, the Grosvenor Hotel, and its very first venue, Wembley Conference Centre.

However, relocating the event from the capital marks a significant turning point in the ceremony’s history – perhaps the most dramatic one yet.

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2026-03-01 18:20