BRITs Fringe 2026, New Century Hall, Manchester • News • DIY Magazine

From the hefty billboards and signs that greet you upon arrival into Manchester Piccadilly, to the tiny BRITs symbol that glows green when you’re crossing the road (how’s that for attention to detail?!), it doesn’t take long for the great Northern city to make the BRITs feel at home this year.

With the BRIT Awards venturing outside of the capital for the first time ever this year, it comes as no surprise that Manchester’s approach to hosting is no holds barred, and that more than extends to the litany of showcases and gigs that have popped up across the city in the week prior to the awards. But rather than focus on the bigger names dropping by for the occasion (Foo Fighters are set to headline the O2 Ritz tonight, while Robbie Williams plays Aviva Studios this evening), we’d rather focus our attentions on the rich emerging music scene that the local area is focused on nurturing.

After a day at the BRITs Fringe LAB at New Century Hall - a programme of panels, talks and sessions centred around supporting and encouraging young music talents from the region - the evening is ushered in via an introduction by city mayor Andy Burnham, before proceedings begin in the venue’s impressive upstairs space. An indication of not just the incredible talent of the city and its wider reaches, but a look at the vast scope of genres being explored within the local scene here, tonight’s showcase runs through four of Manchester’s standout new talents, and the room is packed out for them.

Opening things up this evening are Third Kulture. Earlier in the day, when an attendee mentioned that the outfit are like nothing most of us have ever heard before, it was somewhat hard to believe the hyperbole. Yet, on stage, they live up to that expectation and more; each cutting a bold figure, the trio bring a distinctly different flavour to their warped melting pot of grime, metal and R&B to create a heady, thrashing offering that almost impossible to draw your eyes from. By contrast, Zimbabwean-born, Manchester-based Meduulla might be that little more conventional in sound - a gorgeous mix of jazz-flecked hip-hop - but it’s clear from her opening bars that she possesses more than enough star quality to go around.

Judging from the giddiness that ripples through the crowd (and the fact that several of tonight’s front row spent a chunk of today queuing up), people are very excited about Chloe Slater’s arrival. No stranger to us at DIY - having played our Hello 2025 shows last year, and featured in our Class of 2026 issue more recently - she’s a truly potent songwriter, but it’s live where everything really takes on an even more powerful edge, with her closing number ‘Fig Tree’ packing a particular punch.

Rounding things off on this stellar night comes another DIY favourite (and fellow Class of 2026 alum), this time in the form of Nxdia, an artist intently focused on pushing boundaries across all fronts. Still riding high off the back of last summer's potent release ‘I Promise No One’s Watching’, their set is a perfectly cathartic way in which to round off such a celebratory day; one which is sure to inspire and sow the seeds for a future generation of local musicians and artists.

This feature is brought to you as part of DIY’s work supporting this year’s edition of the BRITs Fringe.

Curated by local music development organisation Brighter Sound - in collaboration with Manchester Music City and supported by Manchester City Council, GMCA and the Manchester Accommodation BID - the BRITs Fringe aims to celebrate the city’s rich musical history and incredible current grassroots scene (all under the banner of ‘Manchester Seen and Heard’), via a series of events happening across the city in the lead up to the BRIT Awards themselves. For more information on the BRITs Fringe, head to Brighter Sound’s website now.

Tags: Chloe Slater, Nxdia, News