UK Hair and Beauty Awards move from Birmingham to Manchester’s AO Arena

The UK Hair and Beauty Awards (HBA), often described as the ‘Oscars’ of the hair and beauty industry, is moving its annual ceremony from Birmingham to Manchester for 2026.

Following the BRIT Awards, MTV EMAs, MOBOs and other major UK awards to the city, the organisers have confirmed the HBA will be held at Manchester’s AO Arena on 15 August 2026.

For the first time the event will run as a full day in three parts, bringing together professionals, brands, media and creators.

It will open with a trade show for established and emerging brands, followed by the awards ceremony, and finish with a large evening festival and afterparty with live entertainment, performances and networking.

Outgrowing Birmingham

Now in its sixth year, the event has outgrown its previous home at Birmingham’s International Convention Centre (ICC). Founder and chief executive Sophie Lux calls the move to Manchester a ‘big leap’ and aims to create the largest hair and beauty event the UK has seen, with more than 3,000 attendees targeted this year.

Lux said: “Manchester is a city that knows how to host world-class events. The BRIT Awards and MTV Awards have already proven that the city can handle big shows, and we want the HBAs to shine on the same stage. Our vision is to make the awards accessible to everyone, and this move allows us to host more people, more safely, and in style. With the AO Arena’s capacity, we have the chance to break records for the largest hair and beauty event ever.

“This is a huge change for us. We’ve held the ceremony at the ICC in Birmingham for the last two years, and moving to a completely new city is a big leap. But Manchester gives us the space, scale, and profile to elevate the HBAs to a new level, following in the footsteps of events like the BRIT Awards. It’s ambitious, it’s exciting, and it’s exactly the right move to put the hair and beauty industry on the map.”

The 2025 ceremony, hosted by TV personality Jake Quickenden, drew nearly 1,800 attendees and guests including Paris Fury and Princess Andre, with a live performance from boyband The Wanted 2.0.

Previous sponsors include Moonpig, Soft & Gentle, Lee Stafford, Apraise, P20, Crazy Colour, Insync and FYAB. For 2026, Elleebana, Watermans and Ovatu are already confirmed, with more sponsors due to be announced in the coming months.

Why the awards started

Lux launched the awards in 2021 to ‘shake up the industry’, aiming to reward talent and excellence rather than the ‘brands with the biggest advertising budgets’.

“While running multiple salons, I saw first-hand how unfair recognition in our industry had become,” she said. “So many incredibly talented professionals were being overlooked simply because awards felt inaccessible, expensive, or biased. I wanted to change that. HBA was created to remove barriers, keep entry fees low, and deliver a transparent, fair process that genuinely celebrates our day-to-day professionals who give everything to this industry and make it what it is.”

An official announcement of the 2026 host is expected in the coming months. Lux added: “I cannot wait for this year’s event – it’s going to be our biggest and most exciting yet.”