Taylor Swift has not performed in public since December 2024, as she promotes her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, and prepares for her wedding to Kansas City Chiefs future Hall of Fame tight end Travis Kelce.
An update from the Brit Awards on Wednesday shed some new light on the possibility of a Swift live performance. According to the latest information, Swift — whose presence has ben described as “looming large” over the ceremony — has been omitted from the lineup of artists who will perform as part of the Awards show, which will be streamed live worldwide via YouTube.
Swift was absent from the Grammy Awards ceremony on Feb. 1, in part because her Showgirl album was released on Oct. 3, more than one month after the deadline to be included in the 2026 Grammys. But with the Brit Awards coming up Saturday, and Swift nominated for two awards there, fans are wondering if the pop icon will take the stage for a performance during the ceremony in Manchester, U.K.
When Will Travis Kelce Make Retirement Decision?
At the same time, Swift, the Chiefs and the NFL world continue to wait on Kelce to come to a decision on his potential retirement. Talk of whether Kelce will return for another year of pro football has surged over recent days, as first Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and then earlier this week the team’s general manager Brett Veach has delivered updates on Kelce’s decision-making process.
Even with the NFL free agent negotiating period opening March 9, the NFL Draft about six weeks later and rookie mini-camps starting a little more than a week after the draft, the Chiefs would be expected to feel some urgency to rebuild their team following a dismal 6-11 season.
But according to both Reid and Veach, the Chiefs are content to let Kelce take whatever time he needs, even though his decision will directly affect other team-building moves the Chiefs make.
Will Taylor Swift Perform at the Brit Awards?
With the questions intensifying about her fiancé’s football future, and the couple’s widely rumored wedding date of June 13 fast approaching, it was perhaps no surprise that when the Brit Awards announced its list of performers for the Feb. 28 show, Swift was not among the group.
Topped by Swift’s ex-boyfriend Harry Styles, the list was published by Billboard Magazine on Wednesday.
Other artists confirmed to be performing at the Brit Awards, according to Billboard, will be Olivia Dean in her debut on the Brit Awards stage; Raye, whose song “Where Is My Husband” is a favorite for Song of the Year; alternative rock band Wolf Alice, who are up for Group of the Year; and Rosalía, who is competing with Swift in the International Artist of the Year category.
Swift is also nominated in the International Song of the Year category for the first single off her Showgirl album, “The Fate of Ophelia.”
What Are the Chances of a Surprise Appearance by Swift?
Whether Swift will attend the Brit Awards simply to sit in the audience has not yet been confirmed or denied. But the Billboard report left at least some possibility of an unscheduled appearance or even performance by Swift.
“There could be surprises, too. In a recent interview, Stacey Tang, RCA Records co-president and chair of the BRITs committee, hinted toward a few curveballs and unannounced names for the night,” the magazine reported.
Asked in an interview this week about whether Swift would show up in Manchester for the Brit Awards, the show’s host, comedian Jack Whitehall, refused to offer any insight, saying only, “I’m not going to confirm if Taylor Swift is going to be there. That’s good journalism. I’m not falling into that trap.”
But Whitehall added a tantalizing hint, saying, “the reason why people love the BRITs is it is chaos and you cannot plan for everything and stuff does happen.”
Taylor Swift Excluded From Brit Awards Lineup as Travis Kelce Decision Nears