Hennessy announced as official Cognac Partner of The BRIT Awards 2026
The cognac house will mark The BRIT Awards’ first-ever Manchester edition with a month-long programme of cocktails, live music and nightlife activations across the city.
Hennessy has been named Official Cognac Partner of The BRIT Awards 2026 with Mastercard, as the ceremony prepares to take place in Manchester for the first time in its five-decade history.
The move sees the LVMH-owned cognac brand align itself with what organisers describe as a historic moment for British music, as The BRITs leave London and head north to Manchester’s Co-op Live arena on Saturday 28 February.
Celebrating Manchester’s music heritage
Manchester’s long-standing influence on British music culture sits at the heart of the partnership. From the Haçienda and Factory Records to Madchester and today’s independent scene, the city has produced artists ranging from Joy Division and Oasis to The 1975 and Aitch.
Hennessy said the BRITs’ Manchester debut reflects a musical legacy that mirrors its own: shaped by creative communities and driven by a commitment to music culture across generations. The brand has positioned itself not simply as a sponsor, but as a long-standing presence within music culture, referenced in lyrics and shared across scenes from jazz to hip-hop, and more recently as the official global presenting sponsor of Bad Bunny’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS World Tour.
City-wide activations throughout February
To mark the occasion, Hennessy will extend its celebrations beyond the awards ceremony itself, rolling out activations across Manchester throughout February.
Partner Content
Mollie’s Hotel & Diner and Off The Square will anchor the programme. Mollie’s Studio IV will be transformed into a speakeasy-style venue from 16 February to 9 March, with a live house band performing Britpop classics in the week leading up to the ceremony. Off The Square will host BRITs-related nightlife events, including a DJ set from BRITs nominee DJ Pied Piper alongside DJ Silk on 28 February. Both venues will serve bespoke Hennessy cocktails.
Additional venues taking part in the city-wide programme include Hotel Gotham, Speak In Code, Wood&Co, Dusk Till Pawn, Bunny Jacksons and Bunny’s Karaoke NQ, Federico, Stray and Bar Shrimp. Activations range from exclusive Hennessy cocktails and highballs to BRITs-themed DJ sets, live music evenings and a month-long Hennessy and Moët cocktail at Federico. Bunny Jacksons will also serve the Henny Rita, the brand’s cognac-led take on a Margarita.
‘A city whose creativity has shaped British music’
Julie Nollet, managing director of Moët Hennessy UK, said: “Hennessy has long lived alongside music culture. From the studio to the stage, our cognacs have been referenced in songs, shared at pivotal moments and enjoyed across scenes for generations.
“As The BRIT Awards with Mastercard arrive in Manchester for the first time, we’re proud to celebrate a city whose creativity and energy has shaped British music, and to be part of a moment that brings the industry together.”
The 2026 BRIT Awards with Mastercard will be broadcast live on ITV1 and ITVX, hosted by Jack Whitehall. Net proceeds from the event will continue to be distributed to The BRIT Trust, supporting charitable work through music and the creative arts.
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