Introducing GBB Live

Since its launch in 2014, the Great British Brands Awards Party has become a cornerstone of the luxury calendar – a ritzy, red-carpet celebration of the brands that best define British heritage, craftsmanship, and innovation.

In 2026, Country & Town House is proud to unveil an exciting new extension to the event. Introducing GBB Live – a daytime summit on Thursday 12th February 2026 that will precede the evening’s celebrations, bringing together thought leaders and key decision-makers from the worlds of fashion, design, travel, automotive, beauty and lifestyle for an afternoon of panel discussions, keynote speeches and lively debate.

The event is a new high-level, editorially curated forum that will unite the industry’s brightest minds and most influential brands, bringing Great British Brands to life for a growing members’ community.

We’re delighted to announce that Mary Portas will be delivering a keynote speech to wrap up proceedings after an introduction from GBB Editor-at-Large Dylan Jones and two panel sessions. Guests will also get the chance to hear from Hugo Rifkind on his ‘A-Z of Britishness’.

GBB LIVE: New Frontiers will explore

• Panel 1 – The Great Debate: East vs West hosted by John Arlidge: Where should brands be going? with Johnathan Siboni & more tbc.
• Panel 2: Designing Tomorrow’s Luxury hosted by Dylan Jones: Weaving experience, sustainability and AI into the future of British luxury with Emma Pike & Giles English
  

Event Schedule

Date: Thursday 12th February 2026
Time: 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM (followed by the GBB Awards Party)
Address: Town Hall by Bottaccio, Bidborough Street, London WC1H 9AU  
Audience: 180 senior leaders, founders, creatives and decision-makers from the UK’s most exciting luxury brands

Town Hall is Camden’s reimagined cultural landmark, set in a 1937 Grade II-listed building in the heart of King’s Cross.

Spanning 60,000 square feet, the venue blends heritage with contemporary design through state-of-the-art event spaces, a bold year-round cultural programme, and a members’ society.

With interiors envisioned by Tom Dixon, its stone walls now frame a series of spaces for debate, discourse and entertainment. Restored and operated by Bottaccio Group, Town Hall serves as London’s living room for artists, technologists, and visionaries — a place shaped by the people in it, standing proudly at the epicentre of culture and innovation in King’s Cross.