Quadrophenia Alley – Brighton, England - Atlas Obscura

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Quadrophenia Alley

This tiny alleyway is now a shrine to a subculture riot between the mods and rockers.  

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Sandwiched between two clothes shops is a shrine to an iconic moment of Brighton history.

In May 1964, masses of mods and rockers descended from London onto Brighton Beach resulting in a mass fight that shocked the nation. It ended with people throwing bins, deckchairs, and stones. Several people were jailed after the incident, many of them were arrested and put in cells under Brighton Town Hall, now the Old Police Cells Museum.

This riot was the inspiration for the famous 1979 film Quadrophenia, in which many of the scenes were filmed in Brighton. The narrow and easily overlooked Quadrophenia Alley was the setting of an escape from the police and a romantic encounter in the film. 

Other locations used in the filming of the movie are also nearby, including East Street, Brighton Beach, Brighton Sea Life Centre, and Madeira Drive. 

Know Before You Go

Postcode will take you to the nearby clothes shop: 11 East St, Quadrophenia Alley, Brighton BN1 1HP.

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