BRIT Awards 2021: Performer Olivia Rodrigo wears fluorescent yellow Dior dress on red carpet

She was set to take to the stage among a slew of performers in the star-studded ceremony.

And Olivia Rodrigo certainly caught the eye as she arrived for the red carpet at the 2021 BRIT Awards at London’s O2 Arena on Tuesday.

The singer and actress, 18, channelled the 50s in a custom-made Dior gown as she headed to the capital for the awards show.

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Gorgeous: Olivia Rodrigo, 18, caught the eye in a custom-made Dior gown as she arrived for the red carpet at the 2021 BRIT Awards at London’s O2 Arena on Tuesday

Olivia dressed to impress in the brightly-coloured strapless dress with a flowing A-line skirt that channelled the beautiful gowns of years past.

The High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star teamed the bright-coloured dress with a skinny black belt and matching platform heels.

Olivia joined stars on the red carpet ahead of taking to the stage to perform her chart-stopping single Drivers License, and was also seen chatting to Maya Jama backstage before the ceremony.

Hard to miss! The singer and actress channelled the 50s in the neon yellow dress as she headed to the capital for the awards show

Hard to miss! The singer and actress channelled the 50s in the neon yellow dress as she headed to the capital for the awards show

Glamorous: Olivia dressed to impress in the brightly-coloured strapless dress with a flowing A-line skirt

Superstar: It channelled the beautiful gowns of years past

Glamorous: Olivia dressed to impress in the brightly-coloured strapless dress with a flowing A-line skirt that channelled the beautiful gowns of years past

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

The Brit Awards are taking 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 will be broadcast live on ITV, will celebrate the return to live music and nominee Dua Lipa has promised those attending that it will ‘be a night to remember’.  

Lovely: The High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star teamed the bright-coloured dress with a skinny black belt

Lovely: The High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star teamed the bright-coloured dress with a skinny black belt

Flawless: Olivia styled her glossy brunette tresses into loose beachy waves to team with her pretty dress for the occasion

Flawless: Olivia styled her glossy brunette tresses into loose beachy waves to team with her pretty dress for the occasion

The indoor ceremony and live show will form part of the Government’s scientific Events Research Programme, and it will use 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, this means The BRITs, will be 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 will play 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 will not be socially distanced or required to wear face coverings in the arena, but they will be required to follow existing Government guidance when travelling to the venue and adhere to rules set out by the event organisers.

Happy: Olivia joined stars on the red carpet before heading to the media room backstage

Hitmaker: She was set to perform her chart-topping single Drivers Licence

Happy: Olivia joined stars on the red carpet ahead of taking to the stage to perform her chart-stopping single Drivers License

How are the BRIT Awards going ahead during the Covid pandemic?

The 2021 BRIT Awards mark the first live music event in the UK since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The indoor ceremony and live show will form part of the Government’s scientific Events Research Programme.

Enhanced testing approaches will examine how events can take place without the need for social distancing after all restrictions are lifted on June 21.  

4,000 tickets were made available for the live ceremony, just one fifth of the venue’s 20,000 capacity, with 2,500 of those being given to key workers. 

The BRITs will play 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 will not be socially distanced or required to wear face coverings once seated inside the arena, though they will be required in communal areas such as the toilet or main concourse.

All attendees will be allowed to purchase alcohol and concessions once inside the O2 Arena.

Attendees will also be 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 must have proof of a negative lateral flow test result to enter the venue, and said test must be taken at an asymptomatic testing site within 36 hours of the ceremony.

Upon arrival at the venue, all attendess will be asked to take a PCR test, and will then take another test five days after the ceremony 

It’s hoped this will gather further evidence on the safety of indoor settings, reduced social distancing and the removal of non-pharmaceutical interventions like face coverings.

Safety first: Ahead of making her way along the red carpet, Olivia donned a protective face shield in according with Covid restrictions

Safety first: Ahead of making her way along the red carpet, Olivia donned a protective face shield in according with Covid restrictions

Among the rules, attendees must 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 will also be 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.  

The show is set to award Taylor Swift – who will make history as the first ever female to be given BRITs Global Icon Award at the ceremony. 

The 11-time Grammy Award winner, 31, will join former winners Elton John, Robbie Williams and David Bowie in being given with the award in recognition of her impact on music across the world and incredible repertoire and achievements to date. 

In numbers provided by Official Charts Company, Taylor is the UK’s biggest selling artist of the year to date in 2021 and has sold over 114m albums worldwide with total global audio + video streams reaching 78b. 

Easy to spot! In her brightly-coloured dress the star was hard to miss as she waited in her car

Easy to spot! In her brightly-coloured dress the star was hard to miss as she waited in her car

Protected: This year's BRIT Awards has seen in the introduction of multiple safety restrictions due to the Covid pandemic

Protected: This year’s BRIT Awards has seen in the introduction of multiple safety restrictions due to the Covid pandemic

Off she goes: Surrounded by her team Olivia climbed aboard a golf buggy to take her into the arena for the red carpet

Off she goes: Surrounded by her team Olivia climbed aboard a golf buggy to take her into the arena for the red carpet

Taylor is the only artist in history to have four consecutive albums – Speak Now, RED, 1989 and reputation – sell over one million copies in their week of release.   

She is also the only artist to have nine albums each sell at least half a million copies in a single week, with Fearless, Speak Now, RED, 1989, reputation, Lover, folklore, evermore, Fearless (Taylor’s Version).

Taylor is nominated for a second BRIT award this year for International Female Solo Artist, her sixth BRIT nomination to date.  

The Icon gong is the highest accolade given and is reserved for truly exceptional artists – following on from Elton, Robbie and David. 

Nominations were unveiled in March, with Celeste, Dua Lipa, Joel Corry and Young T & Bugsey joining Arlo Parks in receiving three nominations each, and Jessie Ware, J Hus, Bicep, AJ Tracey up for two awards as with Headie One.

Confirmed to perform on the show are: Arlo Parks, Coldplay, Dua Lipa, Griff – this year’s Rising Star award winner – Headie One, Olivia Rodrigo, and Rag’n’Bone Man & P!nk with the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Choir. 

BRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS 2021

FEMALE SOLO ARTIST 

ARLO PARKS

CELESTE 

DUA LIPA – WINNER

JESSIE WARE 

 LIANNE LA HAVAS

MALE SOLO ARTIST 

AJ TRACEY

HEADIE ONE 

J HUS – WINNER

JOEL CORRY 

YUNGBLUD

BRITISH GROUP 

BICEP

BIFFY CLYRO 

LITTLE MIX – WINNER

THE 1975 

YOUNG T & BUGSEY

BRITs RISING STAR 

GRIFF WARNER – WINNER

PA SALIEU

RINA SAWAYAMA 

MASTERCARD ALBUM 

ARLO PARKS COLLAPSED IN SUNBEAMS 

CELESTE NOT YOUR MUSE 

DUA LIPA FUTURE NOSTALGIA 

J HUS BIG CONSPIRACY

JESSIE WARE WHAT’S YOUR PLEASURE? 

INTERNATIONAL GROUP

BTS 

D.C. PARTISAN 

FOO FIGHTERS 

HAIM POLYDOR – WINNER

RUN THE JEWELS

BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST 

ARLO PARKS – WINNER

BICEP 

CELESTE 

JOEL CORRY 

YOUNG T & BUGSEY

BRITISH SINGLE

220 KID & GRACEY DON’T NEED LOVE

AITCH & AJ TRACEY FT TAY KEITH RAIN 

DUA LIPA PHYSICAL

HARRY STYLES WATERMELON SUGAR 

HEADIE ONE FT AJ TRACEY & STORMZY AIN’T IT DIFFERENT 

JOEL CORRY FT MNEK HEAD & HEART

NATHAN DAWE FT KSI LIGHTER

REGARD & RAYE SECRETS 

S1MBA FT DTG ROVER PARLOPHONE 

YOUNG T & BUGSEY FT HEADIE ONE DON’T RUSH

INTERNATIONAL FEMALE SOLO ARTIST 

ARIANA GRANDE

BILLIE EILISH – WINNER

CARDI B

MILEY CYRUS 

TAYLOR SWIFT 

INTERNATIONAL MALE SOLO ARTIST 

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN  

BURNA BOY 

CHILDISH GAMBINO 

TAME IMPALA FICTION

THE WEEKND – WINNER

GLOBAL ICON

Taylor Swift