BRIT Awards 2021 Winners list: Dua Lipa wins big, Harry Styles bags British single for Watermelon Sugar
Taylor Swift became the first female artist to be honoured with the Global Icon award at BRIT 2021. Reuters
Updated: May 12, 2021, 04:37 PM IST
Some 4,000 people watched singers Dua Lipa and Arlo Parks triumph as well as perform at the BRIT Awards on Tuesday, in the first major indoor music event with a live audience held in London in over a year.
Britain s pop music honours, for which the audience did not have to wear masks or socially distance, took place at the O2 Arena on the River Thames as the country emerges from COVID-19 lockdown.
Inside the BRIT Awards 2021: Event sees the return of live music amid the pandemic with a limited audience of 4,500, pre-recorded performances and rigorous COVID-19 testing - in a VERY different ceremony to 2020
The 2021 BRIT Awards took place at London s O2 Arena on Tuesday night, and marked the first major indoor music event in over a year
With a limited audience of 4,500, some pre-recorded performances and rigorous Covid testing, the event was a stark contrast to last year s ceremony
The 2020 ceremony took place on 18 February - just weeks before the UK entered its first national lockdown on 23 March
Other changes on Tuesday night included socially distanced queues and masks worn in communal areas, a delayed date and US performers having to either quarantine or left unable to attend
Brit Awards to mark return of live music to O2 Arena
Jack Whitehall on stage at the Brit Awards 2020 (Isabel Infantes/PA)
The Brit Awards will return to London’s O2 Arena tonight, marking the first live music show at the venue in more than a year.
There will be an audience of 4,000 people at this year’s event, hosted by comedian Jack Whitehall, as part of the Government’s live events pilot scheme, with 2,500 tickets gifted to key workers from the Greater London area.
Audience members attending the indoor ceremony will not be socially distanced or required to wear face coverings once seated.
Fakenham market day and town centre. Picture: MATTHEW USHER
- Credit: Archant
In one week we hit the third stop on our roadmap out of lockdown, and with that brings a host of restrictions easing. Pubs and restaurants are allowed to let people indoors, theatres and cinemas reopening, and hotels let visitors stay.
Following the successful reopening of hairdressers, pub gardens, and non-essential shops during April, Step 3 out of lockdown is expected to come into place from Monday, May 17.
The main change is that indoor hospitality will be allowed, meaning pubs will be able to offer indoor dining and drinking again, much to the joy of both landlords and customers who have endured cold and wet days to get back to the pub.
No reason Electric Picnic can t go ahead in August
Meanwhile, the 2021 Longitude festival, due to take place between July 2 and July 4 has been cancelled, it was confirmed on Monday.
Smash Hits perform on the Electric Ireland Throwback Stage during day three of Electric Picnic 2019 at Stradbally in Laois. Picture: by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
Tue, 11 May, 2021 - 12:08
Greg Murphy Denis Desmond, managing director of MCD Productions, said Ireland can’t have a second summer without something to look forward to.
Mr Desmond was speaking as news of the cancellation of the 2021 Longitude festival was confirmed.
The Festival, which was due to be headlined by Kendrick Lamar, Tyler, The Creator, and Megan Thee Stallion, was called off due to Covid-19 restrictions.