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Express Senior Showbiz Reporter Beth Whittingham went to the BRITs (Image: Express)
Overlooking the swarm of celebs below, you didn’t need a pair of binoculars to spot Bez and his bright red hat mingling through the crowd. The Happy Mondays duo certainly left their mark on the show, reflecting on some of their wild stories from their last time attending the show in the mid-90s.
From the vantage point above the bustling array of celebrities, it was hard to miss Bez, sporting his signature bright red hat, as he mingled through the crowd. The duo from Happy Mondays made a memorable impression at the event, sharing some of their wild tales from their previous attendance in the mid-90s.
Among the familiar faces was Love Island presenter Maya Jama, who spread warmth and cheer by handing out hugs after co-presenting an award with musician James Blunt. Meanwhile, Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalia turned the awards night into her personal runway, stunning the audience with three dramatic outfit changes.
For those watching from home, parts of the show were noticeably censored, but from the balcony, we heard everything. Highlights included Geese’s frontman, Cameron Winter, stirring the crowd with his provocative statements, “F**k ICE” and “Free Palestine,” during his acceptance speech. In contrast, Noel Gallagher drew boos when he concluded his speech for Songwriter of the Year with the phrase, “Up the f***ing blues.” Adding to the night’s humor, I’m A Celebrity winner Angry Ginge entertained the 23,500-strong audience by exclaiming, “It is an absolute privilege to see the BRITs in Manchester because it shows people are realising London is a s***hole.”
BRIT Awards 2026 proved to be an eventful one (Image: Express)
Another performance that left audiences speechless was Sombr’s rendition of his hit Undressed, which was spectacularly upstaged when someone pushed him off his platform. It later turned out to be a PR stunt, as the rude fan wore a black shirt with “Sombr is a homewrecker” on the back. But from our seats, the outburst appeared to be a little too real for comfort, as the musician took a moment to gather his composure before continuing with his song.
ITV also cut out a moment where Jack Whitehall highlighted Labour’s Peter Mandelson being in the Epstein files in a brutal joke to Lisa Nandy and Andy Burnham, sparking a lot of backlash. I didn’t understand why the moment was cut – he didn’t swear or say anything derogatory or offensive. So why did they decide to cut that out?
An unforgettable performance came from Sombr, who delivered his hit “Undressed” with flair until an unexpected interruption occurred. A supposed fan pushed him off his platform, later revealed to be a PR stunt, as the individual wore a shirt emblazoned with “Sombr is a homewrecker.” From our perspective, the incident seemed alarmingly genuine, as the artist took a moment to regain his composure before finishing his performance.
In another controversial moment, ITV chose to cut a segment where Jack Whitehall jokingly pointed out Labour’s Peter Mandelson’s name in the Epstein files while addressing Lisa Nandy and Andy Burnham. The decision to omit this did not sit well with some, as Whitehall’s comment neither included profanity nor offensive content, leaving many questioning the rationale behind the edit.
While we found our seats up in the balcony, the star-studded guest list settled in for dinner and a show on round tables showered with bottles of fizz on the ground floor. The room swarmed with record industry execs and music bigwigs networking in the shadows while artists danced the night away.
Tickets for the event were hard to come by, with standard seating setting you back a staggering £600, plus the hefty £25 parking charge if you drove in like me. But for a once-in-a-lifetime event, organisers certainly gave you more than your money’s worth.
The show kicked off with a bang as the former One Direction star took to the stage to perform his hit single Aperture for the first time. The audience immediately roared with applause as he brought the disco hit to life, surrounded by a dance troupe.
His sense of humour seeped through his work, taking part in various skits with host Jack Whitehall before the show and playing up his boyish charm during his joyous performance. The audience couldn’t help but jump to their feet.
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BRIT Awards 2026 saw a gatecrasher during Sombr’s performance (Image: Express)
The biggest winner of the night was rising star Olivia Dean, who took home four awards on the night, including Album and Artist of the Year. The brunette beauty was overcome with emotion as her team swarmed her with hugs and cheers as she struggled to find her words during her acceptance speeches.
The two-and-a-half-hour show was jam-packed full of stellar performances from the likes of Wolf Alice, Alex Warren, and Mark Ronson, to name a few. Arguably, the most unexpected performance of the night was Rosalia’s avant-garde spectacle, Berghain, supported by surprise guest Björk for their first-ever live duet of the track.
Despite sitting to the side of the stage, I had a brilliant view of the acts as they prepared for their performances. From my vantage point, I could see Raye nervously preparing for her musical act, shaking with nervousness and practising deep breathing.
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It truly was a rollercoaster of emotions, with touching tributes shared throughout the night. Tim Burgess pulled on the heartstrings as he paid a moving tribute to his mate Gary ‘Mani’ Mountfield before a montage of musicians lost played out on screen.
The crowd took to their feet for an emotional speech about the great Ozzy Osbourne, who was honoured with a posthumous Lifetime Achievement award. Accepting the gong in his honour was former X Factor star Sharon and her daughter Kelly, who went completely off her autocue as she spoke from the heart about her late husband.
Closing out the show in his honour, Robbie Williams and a powerhouse band made up of Zakk Wylde, Robert Trujillo, Adam Wakeman, and Tommy Clufetos performed the 1991 classic, No More Tears. Their spirited performance got everyone up on their feet, transforming the Co-op Live into the ultimate dancefloor. This proved to be just the beginning of a long night of partying for many.
Hollywood legend Jeff Goldblum really summed it up best at the end of the night, gushing: “This might be the greatest place on earth. Manchester, my new favourite place.” And we couldn’t agree more.