As celebrities descended on Greater Manchester for the BRIT Awards 2026, stars, event sponsors and tourists took a detour through Ordsall to visit the iconic Salford Lads Club immortalised by The Smiths.
American actor Michael Imperioli, best known for his role in The Sopranos, also stopped by the Salford youth centre on Sunday as his touring show about the hit television series visited the North West.
Initially founded in 1904 on Coronation Street as a recreation space for boys in the area, Salford Lads Club became a worldwide tourist destination when a photo of Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce outside the building featured on the inside sleeve of The Smiths 1986 album, The Queen is Dead.
Since then, fans of the band have journeyed from across the world to Ordsall to have their photo taken outside the Salford institution.
Imperoli became the latest person to take a selfie under the building’s terracotta arches when he completed his “pilgrimage” to the site on Sunday before he took to the stage at Manchester’s O2 Apollo that evening.
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A day earlier, the historic youth centre welcomed a touring party of Brits’ sponsors before the awards ceremony took place in Manchester for the first time.
Salford-born Happy Mondays duo Shaun Ryder and Bez stole the show on the night as they sat down for an entertaining and brilliantly chaotic interview with comedian Jack Whitehall.
A well-lubricated Ryder began by recalling how he was busted for drug possession during the Brits in the 90s, before chatting about bad role models and Paddington Bear.
The beloved bear presented an award at last week’s Baftas. Referencing this, Whitehall joked:
“We also invited Paddington Bear to give out an award tonight, like he did at the Baftas.”
Speaking to Happy Mondays members, the comedian quipped: “Though I think it may have been a mistake putting him on your table this evening.
“He’s had a little too much marmalade.”
The camera then panned to reveal two bear legs wearing bright red Wellington boots hanging out from underneath the table.
The pair also went on stage to present the Brit Awards 2026 ‘Group of the Year’ to alternative rock band Wolf Alice.
And before the ceremony, Ryder, from Little Hulton, paid tribute to Gary “Mani” Mounfield, who was recognised during the ceremony’s In Memoriam section.
Mounfield, who was an original member of Manchester rock band The Stone Roses, died aged in November 2025.
On the red carpet ahead of the Brits, Ryder said: “Mani was a beautiful human being, an absolutely beautiful human being.
“Never mind being a genius bass player, he was just a really beautiful person. I’ve never seen him be unkind to anybody,” Ryder said.
