Olivia Dean to play intimate Manchester gig

Ian ShoesmithNorth West
News imagePA Media Olivia Dean, holding a microphone, on stage as she performs. She has long dark hair.PA Media
Olivia Dean will play an intimate show at Manchester's Albert Hall

Olivia Dean will perform at an intimate charity gig in Manchester during the city's Brits Week celebrations next month.

The 26-year-old singer songwriter's Albert Hall show on 26 February will raise money for the War Child charity, which seeks to help children affected by conflicts around the world.

Other charity gigs include Spiritualized, known for their 1997 album Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space, who will play at Hackney's Earth Theatre in London on 18 February. Two days later, indie band The K's will appear at Gorilla in Manchester.

Earlier this week, it was confirmed Harry Styles will take to the stage at Manchester's Co-op Live during the Brit Awards ceremony on 28 February

News imagePA Media Harry Styles performing on the main stage during the BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in 2022. He holds a yellow guitar and wears a purple jumpsuitPA Media
Styles recently announced plans for a world tour, including 12 Wembley shows

Since beginning her career, Dean has already had two UK top 10 albums in Messy (2023) and The Art Of Loving (2025), the latter of which reached number one.

Her single Man I Need has also topped the UK charts, and she is also known for tracks such as Nice To Each Other, So Easy (To Fall In Love) and A Couple Minutes.

Spiritualized have had three UK top 10 albums including the critically acclaimed Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space, which notably beat Radiohead's OK Computer and The Verve's Urban Hymns to the NME album of the year gong in 1997.

The band, led by J Spaceman, real name Jason Pierce, was formed following the break up of influential 1980s psychedelic band Spacemen 3, and their best known songs include Come Together, I Think I'm In Love and Electricity.

Clare Sanders-Wright, head of live music at War Child, said: "We're thrilled to add these new names, including three more headliners in Olivia Dean, Spiritualized and The K's, to our line-up as well as some really exciting support acts for the gigs.

"Brits Week for War Child wouldn't be possible without the incredible generosity of the artists, their teams, and our partners... and we couldn't be more grateful.

"Twenty per cent of the world's children are living through conflict right now, and the money raised from these unforgettable shows will help War Child continue our vital work to protect, educate and stand up for as many of these children as possible.

"Because no child should be a part of war. Ever."

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