BRIT Awards 2021: Dua Lipa plays medley as she pays homage to Geri Horner in Union Jack outfit

Dua Lipa hit the stage in scintillating style when she performed at the 2021 BRIT Awards on Tuesday night.

The singer, 25, entertained fans as she ran through a medley of some of her biggest hits at the ceremony, held at London’s O2, while donning an eye-catching ensemble that included a Union Jack-print wrap skirt -with a cheeky thong underneath.

Levitating hitmaker Dua’s choice of ensemble hearkened back to Geri Horner’s headline-making patriotic minidress, which she wore as she performed at the same awards show some 24 years ago, back in 1997.

Dua teamed her skirt of choice with a matching blazer – which she swiftly removed – a white blouse and black cravat, while a gold waistcoat with a scooped neckline complemented her look.

Adding a racy touch, the star retained her black stockings and suspenders from her red carpet ensemble, while patent buckle heels rounded out her head-turning look as she flashed her derriere.

The chart-topping star oozed Hollywood glamour as she styled her signature raven locks into a beehive hairdo and added a palette of impeccably-applied makeup. 

Also taking to the stage on the night were Elton John and Years & Years, who teamed up to perform the Pet Shop Boys classic It’s A Sin, after teasing the surprise collaboration on social media ahead of the show. 

The Rocket Man hitmaker, 74, took to the stage with Years & Years frontman Olly Alexander, 30, after becoming a huge fan of Olly’s performance as Ritchie Tozer in Channel 4 drama It’s A Sin.

And the joint performance was heavily hinted at on social media, with Elton, Years and Years and The Brit Awards’ Instagram accounts all sharing words that spell out ‘It’s A Sin.’

Sir Elton got the rumour mill going on Monday night by posting the word ‘It’s’ on a brightly coloured background, before Years & Years dropped the word ‘A’ in an identical font.

Fuelling the speculation further, the official Brit Awards page then posted the word ‘Sin’, getting fans excited for what will no doubt be an epic performance.

Their cover of It’s A Sin was a fitting choice, as, it shares its name with the critically acclaimed series which starred Olly.  

Elton was a huge fan of It’s A Sin when it aired on TV earlier this year and even shared his appreciation on social media.

Olly starred alongside a cast of rising stars and celebrated favourites including Keeley Hawes, Stephen Fry and Neil Patrick Harris and It’s a Sin has been universally praised by fans.

Coldplay opened the BRIT Awards with an incredible pre-recorded performance on London’s River Thames.

The band, fronted by lead singer Chris Martin, 44, performed their new single Higher Power from a barge in front of the O2 ahead of the live event.

Going on all out for the opening act, Coldplay opted for futuristic dancing holograms and sparkling fireworks for the showcase, which was filmed in the heart of the capital last month. 

Chris was ever the showman in the band’s performance as they took to the barge situated outside the O2 Arena. 

The performance included the use of jaw-dropping holograms, adding to the sci-fi theme after the band unveiled their new single last week by streaming it on board the International Space Station. 

It was a performance that kicked off a stellar return to live music, which also included performances from Rag’n’Bone Man, Pink, The Weeknd and Headie One.

Higher Power features on Coldplay’s new album which is called Music Of The Spheres, another reference to space and life beyond Earth. 

The track was produced by music mastermind, Max Martin, who is known for making numerous hit records including Britney Spears’ Baby One More Time and Backstreet Boys’ I Want It That Way.  

In an explosion of colour and optimism, the 2021 BRIT Awards celebrated the achievements of British and international artists over the last 18 months.  

The awards ceremony truly belonged to Dua Lipa, 25, as the evening saw her scoop the accolade for Female Solo Artist and the Mastercard British Album of the Year Award for her lockdown hit Future Nostalgia. 

This year’s Rising Star award winner Griff was handed the baton for the honour by 2020’s Rising Star winner Celeste, who herself was up for three further awards.

And Arlo Parks was crowned Breakthrough Artist, one of the three awards the star was nominated for, after what has been an incredible year for the young London artist. 

She also made her debut BRITs performance with an elegant rendition of Hope and decorated the set as a sunflower field in a nod to the name of her debut album.

The most nominated girl band in BRIT Award history, Little Mix, finally bagged the title of British Group and made history as the first-ever girl band to win, having been up for the award three previous times. 

Meanwhile, the International Group category followed a similar suit, with the California girlband HAIM in attendance to accept their award. 

And the accolade for International Female was given to the 19-year-old Bad Guy hitmaker Billie Eilish, who accepted the award via a pre-recorded video acceptance speech.  

The Weeknd emerged victorious in the International Male Solo Artist category with his award presented by the former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. 

The Blinding Lights hitmaker treated the audience to an unforgettable performance of his single Save Your Tears, pre-recorded from the US.  

Dem Boy Paigon hitmaker JHUS scooped the Male Solo Artist award, which was accepted on his behalf by DJ Semtex in his absence.

Following a successful awards season stateside, One Direction heartthrob Harry Styles scooped Best British Single with his summertime track Watermelon Sugar. 

The first female artist to win the highest BRITs accolade and the UK’s biggest selling artist of the year to date, Taylor Swift appeared in person to accept the special Global Icon award, which was presented by Game Of Thrones actress Maisie Williams.

Each winner was presented with the BRITs’ first-ever collaborative double-trophy, designed by Es Devlin OBE and Yinka Ilori MBE, with each recipient encouraged to re-gift the smaller trophy to someone else.

The 2021 BRIT Awards, hosted by Jack Whitehall, marked the first major indoor music event in over a year as bosses released 2,500 free tickets to key workers.   

The show saw a total of 11 awards handed out alongside nine unbeatable show-stopping performances, six of which were able to be staged live in stadium.  

The show officially opened with fireworks and a UK exclusive performance by Coldplay of their new song Higher Power from the River Thames.  

The BRITs is known for its unique collaborations and this year was no different, with Elton John and Years & Years’ Olly Alexander joining forces for a spectacular performance of the Pet Shop Boys’ classic It’s A Sin. 

The recorded version of the song will now be available to purchase as a single in support of the Elton John AIDS Foundation charity.  

A second collaboration saw Rag’n’Bone Man and P!nk perform their new single Anywhere Away from Here, with P!nk joining remotely from the US.

And the musical duo were joined by special guest singers from the Greenwich and Lewisham NHS Trust Choir, providing an emotional climax to the show.   

Another US star who made it to The O2 was Olivia Rodrigo who lit up the stage with a performance of her stunning hit single, Drivers Licence.

Twice nominated Headie One also blew the audience away with a special performance of Ain’t It Different/Princess Cuts, joined by fellow nominees AJ Tracey and Young T & Bugsey.

Presenters on the night included: Annie Mac, Boy George, Celeste, Lewis Capaldi, Kurupt FM and Mabel.

The event was Co-Chaired by Rebecca Allen (President EMI Records) and Selina Webb (EVP Universal Music UK), who oversaw the creative team which along with Devlin and Ilori also included BRITs TV Executive Producer Sally Wood. 

The BRIT Awards took place in front of a live audience of 4,000 people at London’s The O2 six days before the next phase of lockdown lifts. 

The ceremony, which was broadcasted live on ITV, celebrated the return to live music and Dua Lipa promised those attending that it would ‘be a night to remember’.  

The indoor ceremony and live show formed part of the Government’s scientific Events Research Programme, and used enhanced testing approaches to examine how events can take place without the need for social distancing after all restrictions are lifted on June 21. 

Working closely with the Government to adhere to safety guidelines, The BRITs was the first live music show at The O2 in over a year, with 4,000 tickets being up for grabs – just one fifth of the venue’s 20,000 capacity

The BRITs played 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. 

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

Among the rules, attendees had to 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 were also 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.