The BRIT Awards 2021 will be first major indoor music event to welcome back a live audience – a pivotal moment in the return of live music at scale

2,500 tickets to be gifted by the recorded music industry to frontline heroes – ballot for free tickets opens on brits.co.uk on Thursday 22nd April at 09.00 hours

“This has been a long tough year for everyone and I'm delighted the night will honour the key worker heroes who have cared for us so well during that time and continue to do so. They are quite simply an inspiration. The BRIT Awards are always special and this will truly make it a night to remember.” – DUA LIPA

The BRIT Awards 2021 with Mastercard today confirm that they plan to welcome a live audience of 4,000 people at this year’s event taking place on 11th May at The O2 arena in London, and to be broadcast live on ITV and ITV Hub.

The indoor ceremony and live show will form part of the Government’s scientific Events Research Programme, using enhanced testing approaches to examine how events can take place without the need for social distancing1.

Working closely with the Government to adhere to safety guidelines, this means The BRITs, as the first live music show at The O2 in over a year, will play an important role in paving the way for the return of live music at scale as the UK emerges from the past year’s restrictions.

2,500 tickets to be gifted by the recorded music industry to frontline workers

We are further delighted to announce that, in recognition of their extraordinary efforts during the pandemic, the BRITs is inviting key workers from the Greater London Area2 to make up most of the audience for the UK’s biggest night in music. The majority of the tickets (2,500) will be gifted by record labels and the recorded music industry via ballot to frontline workers2 (and a guest of their choice) from a range of sectors to thank them for their remarkable hard work and selfless commitment.

All applicants and attendees must consent to participating in the Government’s scientific Events Research Programme on the basis of its terms and conditions1.

The BRIT Awards 2021 is set to be an incredible night of reflection and celebration. A ballot for free tickets for key workers will open on www.brits.co.uk on Thursday 22nd April 2021 from 09.00 hours.

Speaking about this news, global superstar and multi BRIT nominated artist who will be performing on the night, Dua Lipa said:

“This has been a long tough year for everyone and I'm delighted the night will honour the key worker heroes who have cared for us so well during that time and continue to do so. They are quite simply an inspiration. The BRIT Awards are always special and this will truly make it a night to remember.”

Geoff Taylor, Chief Executive BPI & BRIT Awards, said:

“This year’s BRIT Awards with Mastercard is one of the most significant in the show’s history. Not only will we be celebrating the brilliant music and artists that have helped us through the pandemic, but we hope it will provide a path for the return of live music that fans and artists have so sorely missed. And as a thank you to the key workers who have kept our country going through the difficult times, we are inviting them to be our audience for the first live performances at The O2 in over a year.

“We’re buzzing about the show and working closely with Government, The O2 and all our partners to ensure all safety measures and guidelines are adhered to.”

Danielle Kennedy Clarke, Deputy General Manager of The O2, said:

“We’re proud that The O2 has been selected to host the largest indoor capacity pilot event with The BRITs. This scientific trial is an important step on the path to recovery for the live entertainment industry, and our operational teams are making the final preparations to be able to welcome people into The O2 arena again for the first time in more than a year.”

Mastercard return as headline partner for the 23rd year, having supported The BRITs for over two decades, bringing cardholders closer to music through a range of priceless experiences – from tickets to The BRITs, or Priceless Surprises with some of the UK’s best loved artists. This year, Mastercard will continue to sponsor the much sought after Mastercard Album of the Year award, as well as British Single with Mastercard for the first time and is proud to carry on connecting people to priceless possibilities. Amazon Music is the Official Digital Music Partner for a second year and will host the Official BRIT Awards 2021 playlist as well as sponsor the Male and Female Solo Artist categories.

ITV Studios is handling international distribution for the Brit Awards.

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www.brits.co.uk

Notes to Editors

1 Through the Events Research Programme, the annual UK music industry showcase will test the safety of live audiences returning to indoor seated settings on a large scale. The research gathered from this year’s BRIT Awards will build on the evidence collected at other pilots in the programme, including the World Snooker Championships at the Sheffield Crucible and an outdoor gig at Sefton Park hosted by Festival Republic. The evidence from these pilots will be used to inform government policy to bring about the phased return of fuller audiences to venues and events across England.

Audience members will not be socially distanced or required to wear face coverings in the arena, but they will be required to follow existing Government guidance when travelling to the venue and adhere to rules set out by the event organisers.

Attendees must have proof of a negative lateral flow test result to enter the venue. As part of the wider scientific research on the trial events, attendees will also be asked to take a test after the event to gather further evidence on the safety of indoor settings, reduced social distancing and the removal of non-pharmaceutical interventions like face coverings.

They will also have to provide contact details for NHS Test and Trace to ensure everyone can be traced in the event of an audience member receiving a positive test after the event. Link to DCMS FAQ here.

2 The key worker guests will be part of a total audience of up to 4,000 attendees including 1,500 places allocated for purchase to the nominated and performing artists and their teams, supporting record labels, management and show partners and sponsors. Ballot applications are invited from The Greater London Area only to discourage longer-distance travel.

3 All BRIT Awards 2021 announcements can be found on the BRITs website: https://www.brits.co.uk/