Future of O2 Academy Brixton to be determined this week

The future of the O2 Academy Brixton will be determined this week after its licence was suspended following a deadly crush last year.

The London music venue has been closed since 15 December 2022 when concert-goer Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, and security worker Gaby Hutchinson, 23, died after ticketless fans tried to force entry into a concert by Nigerian afro beats artist Asake. Another person remains in hospital after being injured at the event.

A hearing this week will see Lambeth Council’s licensing committee decide if the venue is considered safe to reopen.

The Metropolitan Police have asked for the venue’s licence to be permanently revoked and said measures to prevent such an incident happening again could not be identified until the causes of the incident are better understood.

The force has told the council the licence holder has resisted engaging with their requests satisfactorily.

Licence holder Academy Music Group (AMG) has submitted a separate application to vary the conditions of its licence and allow it to reopen. Variations include increasing the scope of risk assessments, increasing security and making operational changes to prevent crowding. AMG has said it will not reopen the premises until fully satisfied it is safe to do so.

The Night Time Industries Association has made representations in support of the venue and an online petition asking for it to be saved has attracted more than 115,000 signatures.

Cllr Mahamed Hashi, Lambeth’s cabinet member for safer communities, said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson who lost their lives, as well as with the person who is still in hospital, and all those suffering the trauma of witnessing such distressing scenes at one of our borough’s live music venues.

“The licensing sub-committee has a duty to take such steps as are appropriate and proportionate to promote the licensing objectives including public safety. The council will fully play its role in achieving this aim.”

London’s night czar Amy Lamé said: “My thoughts remain with the families and loved ones of Gaby and Rebecca and the individual who remains in a critical condition in hospital following the awful events at Brixton Academy.

“It is essential that the venue operators, the police, the council and the community work together to understand what went wrong and ensure it cannot happen again.”

She added: “The Brixton Academy is a well-loved and important live music venue for artists, fans and the local community. Whatever the outcome of this week’s hearing, the Mayor of London and I are committed to working to ensure the venue can reopen safely.”

The hearing at Lambeth Council is expected to last two days and a decision is expected to be made within five days of its completion. A criminal investigation is ongoing and some evidence will be heard in private to prevent prejudicing the case.

*Image: Shutterstock *