The most iconic BRIT Award moments we still talk about: 8 of the best

With the BRIT Awards 2026 landing in Manchester, anticipation is cranking up, as this year’s nominations and performances take over timelines far and wide.

Love it or loathe it, 'lowkey' has never been a part of the BRIT Awards vocabulary. For every safe acceptance speech and radio hit, there’s been a moment that’s gone slightly off-script. A dress that became a national symbol. A hosting gig that unravelled in real time. A stage invasion no one saw coming.

Decades on, these are the moments we’re still replaying, rewatching and sharing in group chats.

Spice Girls and Geri’s Union Jack dress (1997)

There are pop performances, and then there are cultural reset moments.

When the Spice Girls hit the BRITs stage in 1997 for 'Who Do You Think You Are', they didn’t need an army of backing dancers. They had Spicemania in full swing.

Of course, we can't talk about the performance without addressing Geri Halliwell's iconic Union Jack dress. Nearly three decades on, it still feels like the definitive BRITs image.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Sam Fox and Mick Fleetwood hosting (1989)

Some BRITs moments are iconic for all the right reasons. 1989 is not one of them.

The decision to pair Sam Fox and Mick Fleetwood as hosts delivered a ceremony that felt like live television’s answer to a slow-motion car crash. Missed cues, awkward silences and confusion became the night’s defining features.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Liam Gallagher's iconic walk (1995)

Way before memes were a thing, Liam Gallagher’s 1995 BRITs swagger was already doing the rounds in spirit.

It wasn’t choreographed or particularly dramatic, just pure Gallagher in an era obsessed with laddish cool.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Madonna's tumble (2015)

During a performance of 'Living For Love', Madonna fell down a short flight of stairs in a moment so shocking that some viewers assumed it was choreography. It wasn’t.

True to form, she carried on and finished the song, bruised but unbowed. If resilience had a GIF, this would be it.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Danny Dyer calls Sir Keir Starmer a 'tw*t' (2025)

Former Eastenders actor Danny Dyer left host Jack Whitehall speechless when he was asked who he would crown "tw*t of the year."

In response, Dyer quipped: "The world is being run by cranks at the moment, so probably Sir Keir Starmer."

The interaction left viewers in stitches, with one writing: "Could I kindly ask that Danny Dyer presents next years Brit Awards, I appreciate that most of it will have to muted or bleeped out. But wouldn’t it be iconic."

Michael Jackson vs Jarvis Cocker (1996)

In 1996, Michael Jackson was awarded the Artist of a Generation and delivered a theatrical rendition of 'Earth Song', complete with children and Messiah-esque staging.

Not everyone was sold, however.

Jarvis Cocker of the rock band Pulp took particular issue with the imagery and decided to protest mid-performance.

Before we knew it, Cocker stormed the stage, shook his backside in defiance and ran as security scrambled.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Stormzy's political performance: 'Where's the money for Grenfell?' (2018)

When Stormzy performed at the 2018 Brit Awards, he turned a victory lap into a political statement.

Fresh from two wins, he used his performance to call out then-PM Theresa May over funding for the Grenfell Tower fire victims: "Yo, Theresa May, where’s that money for Grenfell?"

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Teddy Swims' stuffed toy outfit (2025)

The 'Lose Control' singer stole the spotlight with a floor-length coat stitched with brightly coloured stuffed animals, including penguins, sharks, frogs and even bears in tiny glasses.

The 32-year-old singer-songwriter said his colourful outfit "makes me feel safe".

Over on X/Twitter, it didn't take long for viewers to chime in on the eccentric outfit, with one joking: "When your child climbs into the claw machine at the arcade."

Catch The BRIT Awards 2026 with Mastercard live this Saturday 28 February. Tune in from 8.15pm on ITV1 and ITVX in the UK, or stream it worldwide on YouTube from 8.45pm.

You should also read...

• BRIT Awards 2026: RAYE joins Harry Styles and Rosalía as line-up grows – everything you need to know
• All of the main talking points from the Brit Awards 2025: From Sabrina Carpenter's performance to Danny Dyer calling Keir Starmer a 't**t'

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