Brixton Academy: music venue to remain closed for three months
It has been reported that the O2 Brixton Academy will stay closed for three more months following the December crowd crush that killed two people.
The venue in south London has been closed since the tragedy occurred on December 15th last year. The incident is still being investigated, but it is suspected that the crush was started when a mass of ticketless fans attempted to get into the venue for a show by Afrobeats artist Asake.
In addition to the deaths of the mother of two, Rebecca Ikumelo, and security guard, Gaby Hutchinson, numerous other people sustained severe injuries. They were treated at the scene by staff, paramedics and police officers.
Lambeth Council opted to forcibly close the site until a meeting set for next Monday, January 16th, with the venue offering a voluntary closure until then. The decision to suspend the licence of Brixton Academy was underpinned by the police suggesting that “security staff had completely lost control of the situation with regards to crowd control”.
Now, it has been reported that the operators of the venue, Academy Music Group (AMG), have decided to remain shut for another three months while the Metropolitan Police carry out their investigation. A spokesperson for the company told the BBC, that they had “reflected deeply” before making their decision.
“O2 Academy Brixton recognises the gravity of the events which occurred on the night of 15th December 2022 and expresses its sincere condolences to the families of those who died during the tragic incident and its genuine concerns for anyone affected by it,” they said.
The spokesperson concluded: “The licence holder (AMG) is committed to understanding what happened and co-operating with the various investigations that are under way including providing full cooperation to the police in the conduct of their inquiries.”
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.