Brits’ Wildest Moments

The countdown is over: the 2026 Brit Awards are hours away, with Jack Whitehall returning to host as the ceremony makes its first move from London to Manchester.

Nominees including Lily Allen, Noel Gallagher, Olivia Dean and Calvin Harris are expected to attend the industry’s flagship event, first staged in 1977. Few awards shows blend prestige and unpredictability quite like the Brits — a night where chart triumphs and live television chaos often collide.

One of the most notorious chapters came in 1996. Oasis, led by brothers Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher, swept British Album of the Year, British Video of the Year and British Group at the height of their rivalry with Blur frontman Damon Albarn. Their swaggering acceptance speech, which mocked their Britpop rivals, cemented the feud as part of awards folklore.

That same year, Michael Jackson’s performance of “Earth Song” was interrupted by Pulp singer Jarvis Cocker, who stormed the stage in protest. Reflecting on it later, he said: “I was just sat there and watching it and feeling a bit ill, because he's there doing his Jesus act... and I just thought, 'The stage is there, I'm here, and you can actually just do something about it.'” The moment remains one of the most replayed in Brit Awards history.

Feuds resurfaced in 2001 when Robbie Williams, five years after leaving Take That, won Best Song and Video but used his speech to challenge the Gallagher brothers after they branded him a “fat dancer.”

The ceremony has also delivered unforgettable visuals. In 1997, Geri Halliwell’s Union Jack mini dress — created by Gabrielle Mekler — became an instant pop culture landmark following a wardrobe malfunction during the Spice Girls’ performance. In 2015, Madonna suffered a dramatic fall when a cape failed to detach during her performance, pulling her backwards down steps before she recovered and continued.

Even presenters have faced disruption, with Ronnie Wood and Thora Birch forced to act when DJ Brandon Block stormed the stage in error.

In 2012, Adele’s double win for 21 was eclipsed when host James Corden cut her speech short for Blur, prompting a viral backlash.

As Manchester hosts, the Brit Awards once again promise accolades — and unpredictability.