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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Robyn Vinter North of England correspondent

‘The kinetic energy is palpable’: Manchester embraces its first Brit awards

Olivia Dean performs.
Olivia Dean performs during Brits week in aid of the the charity War Child. Photograph: Shirlaine Forrest/WireImage

Visitors to Manchester this week have been visibly amused to be arriving into Olivia Deansgate station, with many posing for selfies in front of the temporary sign. The tribute to the chart-busting musician is just one indication of how Manchester is embracing the arrival of the Brit awards on Saturday, the event’s first venture outside London in its five-decade history.

Stacey Tang, theBrit awards chair, said the move to the Co-op Live arena was about recognising the geographical diversity of the country’s music talent. “Creativity doesn’t happen in one postcode in the UK … so the idea that the biggest night in music should always be in London, I think, is ageing out,” she said.

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