The BRIT School, the country’s leading performing and creative arts state school, has entered into a partnership for The Other Songs Live, being staged at one of the world’s most famous theatres, The London Palladium, on Tuesday, May 19.
Tickets for this festival of songwriting go on sale this Friday, March 6.
The Other Songs Live spotlights a selection of the brightest songwriters and composers, offering the audience an exclusive opportunity to delve into the origins of the song with an evening packed full of performances and stories.
As well as highlighting the talent of both emerging and established songwriters, The Other Songs’ previous events have raised more than £180,000 for music charities.
The Other Songs is an independent music and entertainment company, founded in 2018 by brothers Alastair and Billy Webber.
This year, for the first time, The Other Songs will be raising funds exclusively for The BRIT School, as part of their pledge to support arts education which has been devastated by funding cuts under successive governments.
Opened in Selhurst in 1991 with the support of the British recorded music industry through The Brit Trust and the British Phonographic Industry, the BRIT School’s former pupils reads like a Who’s Who of award-winning musicians and performers of the 21st Century, including Adele, Amy Winehouse, Tom Holland, Jessie J, Leona Lewis, Raye, founding members of The Kooks, as well as FKA twigs, Loyle Carner and Ella Eyre.
On the bill: Justin Tranter will be on stage at The Other Songs Live
Collectively, pupils of the BRIT School have gone on to win 15 Brit Awards, 19 Grammys, and two Oscars, including most recently three winners at the 2026 Grammys in Los Angeles.
At this year’s BRIT Awards in Manchester at the weekend, former pupil Olivia Dean added to her Grammys successes by being named Artist of the Year, winning Album of the Year with The Art of Loving, and (with Sam Fender) taking Song of the Year for “Rein Me In” (a category in which Dean was also nominated for her own “Man I Need”).
When Dean was named Pop Act of the Year, she was one of three BRIT School alumni – together with Lola Young and Raye – on the five-strong shortlist for that category.
Young was named Breakthrough Artist of the Year.
Dean, Raye and Young’s old school remains completely free to attend. “Its mission is to train and educate young people for future careers in the booming creative industries,” a spokesperson for the school said this week. The BRIT School has 1,450 pupils, aged 14 to 19, whose creative arts specialisms are underpinned by “a robust academic programme” of GCSEs, vocational qualifications and A levels. The school was rated “Outstanding” in all five categories at its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2024.
And the audience at the London Palladium for The Other Songs Live will get an opportunity to witness some of the burgeoning new talents from the school, as for the first time the BRIT School youngsters will be sharing the stage with the professional stars.
The Other Songs Live full line-up is still to be revealed, but the first performers named are multi-award winning British singer, songwriter and producer Cathy Dennis and American musician and songwriter Justin Tranter.
Songwriter’s songwriter: Cathy Dennis is confirmed for The Other Songs Live
Dennis is the songwriter behind Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You out of My Head”, Britney Spears’ “Toxic” and Katy Perry’s “I Kissed A Girl”.
Tranter is the writer behind huge global tracks from Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” and Imagine Dragons’ “Believer” to Chappell Roan’s “Good Luck, Babe!”.
“The partnership between The Other Songs Live and The BRIT School is a dream come true. It’s what we’ve been building towards for years,” The Other Songs said in a statement.
“The BRIT School has shown what an enormous impact free arts education can have on national culture. We must keep this incredible school going.
“This event will do that and raise it, becoming a catalyst for the wider mission that every child in the UK should have access to free arts education.”
Stuart Worden, the Principal at the BRIT School, where he has worked since Day One in 1991, described the plans for the Palladium concert as “a special night”.
Selhurst success story: Brit’s Principal Stuart Worden
“This is a celebration of the power of original songwriting and art. From this school – free to everyone of the 13,000 young artists we have trained over the past 35 years – we have celebrated original fashion designers, playwrights, film directors, digital artists, choreographers and songwriters.
“We champion the power of art to encourage young people to find their voice. But this is only possible through the generosity of sponsors, donors and the public.
“Huge thanks to The Other Songs for believing in and championing The BRIT School. We have a chance with this collaboration to celebrate the potential for the arts to transform the lives of others throughout the country, as well as our unique school.”
- The Other Songs Live 2026 will be promoted in association with AEG Presents and sponsored by The Orchard, Universal Music Publishing Group, PRS for Music, Simons Muirhead Burton, and Spotify
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