Jack Whitehall to host the BRIT Awards for the SIXTH year as the ceremony heads to Manchester for the first time
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Jack Whitehall is set to host The BRIT Awards for the sixth time as the ceremony heads to Manchester for 2026.
The ceremony is moving from London for the first time in its 46-year history to relocate to the North, with the comedian confirming on Tuesday that he will still be fronting the show.
Jack credits the city as shaping his early comedy career after he studied at The University Of Manchester.
In a clip shared to social media titled, Ode to Manchester, the TV personality showed off everything from the Curry Mile to Coronation Street.
Jack said: 'I am so excited to be coming back for this very special BRIT Awards in Manchester, a place that is so important to me.
'The city I started my comedy career in, it feels like a real full circle moment returning to host this historic night at the Co-op Live, a venue that is only a stone’s throw away from the comedy club I did my first 10 minute set in all those years ago.'
Jack Whitehall is set to host The BRIT Awards for the sixth time as the ceremony heads to Manchester for 2026
The ceremony is moving from London for the first time in its 46-year history to relocate to the North, with the comedian confirming on Tuesday that he will still be fronting the show
He added: 'Hopefully I get a few more laughs than I did that night. I cannot wait.'
The Daily Mail revealed the annual showpiece, regarded as the biggest night in British music, will now be held in Manchester hosted at Co-op Live both next year and in 2027.
After nearly five decades in London, the ceremony will be marking a bold new chapter taking place on Saturday, February 28th, and will broadcast exclusively on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.
The change will be officially framed around the desire to reach new audiences in other regions, while also banishing its 'London-centric' reputation.
The 2026 event will be the first of three years under the stewardship of Sony Music UK, who spearheaded the move to Manchester.
Jason Iley MBE, Chairman and CEO, Sony Music UK & Ireland said: 'This is a very exciting time for The BRIT Awards. Moving to Manchester, the home of some of the most iconic and defining artists of our lifetime, will invigorate the show and build on the BRITs legacy of celebrating and reinvesting in world-class music.
'Hosting the show in Manchester, with its vibrant cultural history, perfectly captures the spirit and energy of the BRIT Awards. I can't wait to see the show at the amazing state-of-the art Co-op Live venue.'
Meanwhile Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester said: 'For The BRIT Awards to move out of London is a massive coup for Greater Manchester. After 48 years, it is great that this prestigious global event is about to arrive in the UK capital of music and culture.'
Jack said: 'I am so excited to be coming back for this very special BRIT Awards in Manchester, a place that is so important to me'
The Daily Mail revealed the annual showpiece, regarded as the biggest night in British music, will now be held in Manchester hosted at Co-op Live both next year and in 2027
He added: 'Greater Manchester has an unparalleled music heritage known around the world, and this summer will play host to some of the biggest gigs on the planet.
'That was only made possible by our strong commitment to new talent and giving emerging artists the opportunities to make their name.
'We thank our friends at the BPI for choosing Manchester and we will pull out all the stops to show they made the right decision. Celebrating the BRIT Awards right here in the home of 24 hour party people is the next chapter in its story and you can be sure that we will help them do it in style.'
However music insiders have told the Daily Mail 'cost-cutting' is also a major factor for the move, as 'everything is more expensive in the capital'.
The BRITs, which has provided iconic moments in music history including Spice Girl Geri Horner's Union Jack dress and Madonna's infamous 2015 stage fall, has been held at London's O2 Arena since 2011.
Past venues include Earl's Court, the London Arena, Alexandra Palace, Hammersmith Apollo, the Dominion Theatre, the Royal Albert Hall, the Grosvenor Hotel and its original location, Wembley Conference Centre.
But the move away from the capital signals another new era in the ceremony's history, arguably the most seismic.
A source told the Daily Mail: 'It's officially the end of an era. The BRIT Awards has been hosted in London since the ceremony first took place in 1977 and now for the first time ever, it will be held outside of the capital.
'Obviously, it's going to come as sad news to artists and talent who are London-based but there's a feeling within the music industry that these shows don't always need to be held at the same venues, year after year.
'The BRITs is the biggest night in the British music calendar and now it will be shared with a new audience, as fans from Manchester and the surrounding areas are more likely to attend.
'In recent years, there has been a general appetite for the ceremony to move, as with the The Mercury Prize and The MOBO Awards and now for the first time the music scene won't be as London-centric, both for the nominees and fans.'
