Brixton Academy to reopen in April
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(Credits: Drew de F Fawkes)
Following an uncertain 14 months, Brixton Academy have confirmed it will reopen in April, holding concerts by The Smiths, Foo Fighters, Nirvana and Oasis tribute bands.
The reopening comes after the historic venue was forced to close down following an Asake gig in December 2022. Before the concert, a fatal crowd crush caused Gaby Hutchinson and Rebecca Ikumelo to lose their lives. Additionally, one other person was left severely injured.
After the event, an investigation was opened by the Security Industry Authority, looking into whether the venue was liable for the deaths that occurred that night. They discovered a number of breaches in safety caused by the venue and its security team.
Academy Music Group said of the investigation, “The venue’s importance to the local community and the live music scene in the UK has been made clear through first-hand professional testimony, campaigns, and petitions as well as economic assessments demonstrating the financial impact to the surrounding area caused by the closure.”
They continued, “Academy Music Group is determined to learn all appropriate lessons from the night of December 15th, 2022. Working at a senior level with experts across all disciplines, AMG presented a comprehensive, multi-faceted response for the licensing authorities to support their case for the safe and secure reopening of the venue.”
In September 2023, the venue was granted permission to open following the conclusion of the investigation, however, it needed to address 77 conditions laid out by the Security Industry Authority to ensure the safety of staff and concertgoers moving forward.
Lambeth Council’s Mahamed Hashi said, “After a two-day hearing, Lambeth Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee has permitted the O2 Brixton Academy to re-open, but only once it has met 77 extensive and robust new conditions designed to promote public safety, including the safety of both visitors and employees.”
Now, these 77 conditions are believed to have been met as Brixton Academy has announced that it will be hosting its first gigs since the closure. On a social media post, the Academy shared an image which read: “O2 Academy Brixton will reopen on Friday 19th April with Nirvana UK (tribute to Nirvana) and The Smyths (tribute to The Smiths), followed by Friday 26th April with Definitely Mightbe (tribute to Oasis) and UK Foo Fighters (tribute to Foo Fighters).”
Further details regarding ticket prices and opening times can be found on the O2 Academy website, but no further comment by the venue has been made. Additionally, Editors have announced a headline show on May 2nd.
This is a developing story.
