Brit Awards 2016: Adele will perform at ceremony before kicking off 25 world tour

The Brit Awards 2016 will welcome music royalty to the stage with superstar Adele confirmed to perform. The Hello singer will entertain thousands at the annual ceremony, marking her first appearance at the awards for three years.

The 27-year-old diva is the first act confirmed to perform at the Brits, which will be taking place at London's O2 Arena on 24 February 2016. Announcing the news, Brits chairman Max Lousada said: "You couldn't get a bigger name in music right now. Adele is having an exceptional moment and the Brits are delighted to be a part of her history, her present and future."

Adele has enjoyed a long relationship with the Brits having won four awards in the past, including British album of the year for her record-breaking second LP 21 and the Critics' Choice award in 2008. The singer also performed at the awards in 2011, when she treated the audience to a rendition of her ballad Someone Like You and again in 2012 with Rolling In The Deep.

The performance will come just days before the singer is due to launch her world tour in support of her third studio album, 25. The 105-date tour will start in Belfast on 29 February 2016 and will continue throughout the UK with cities including Manchester and London, where she will play eight dates.

It is not known which song Adele will perform at the Brits but fans will no doubt hope to hear 25's lead single Hello or other popular album tracks such as Million Years Ago, Water Under The Bridge and ballad When We Were Young, which has been confirmed as her new single.

The nominations for the Brits 2016 will be announced on 14 January and duo Ant and Dec will return to host the official awards ceremony.

Watch Adele perform Someone Like You at the Brit Awards in 2011: