We head to The Brits 2021 as O2 Arena opens as part of UK Gov Events Research Programme
14th May 2021
It’s been a long time between expensive cocktails for the UK music business. The last major awards show to take place in front of a live audience – the BRITs 2020, as it happens – took place 15 months ago. So, no wonder that, after over a year of Zoom calls and misery, some people had forgotten quite how these things work.
With hugging still outlawed in the UK until Monday, guests arriving at the O2 Arena had to navigate a wave of uncertain fist bumps, awkward elbow taps and socially distanced air kissing. But once inside, the event itself seemed determined to wrap everybody – artists, 1,500 industry guests and 2,500 key workers – in the warmest possible embrace.