Irish band Inhaler and Britpop troupe Suede are the latest acts to cancel shows at the south London venue as its future remains uncertain
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Brixton Academy’s future to be determined next month
A Licensing Review Hearing will decide whether the AMG venue can reopen following a deadly crowd crush at a concert last December
By Lisa Henderson on 25 Aug 2023
Brixton Academy
A licence hearing to determine the future of Brixton Academy has been confirmed for next month.
The 5,000-cap Academy Music Group (AMG) had its premises licence suspended for three months after the events of 15 December 2022, when two people died in a crush at a show by singer/songwriter Asake.
Since then, the Metropolitan Police claimed to have “lost confidence” in the safety of the venue and back in April made a push for the location to close its doors for good.
The Licensing Review Hearing will take place on 11 and 12 September at Lambeth Town Hall, and will decide the immediate future of the venue.
In a statement, the Night Time Industries Association & Save Our Scene said: “This is a critical moment for the venue as it will determine its future, and will require as much support as possible throughout this hearing.”
“This is a critical moment for the venue and will require as much support as possible throughout this hearing”
Earlier this year, numerous artists and industry professionals spoke out against the potential permanent closure of the O2 Academy Brixton. A fresh campaign to save the academy was then launched in May by NTIA.
Since the closure of the venue, AMG has reportedly submitted proposals to Lambeth Council to install a speaker system around the Grade-II listed building. The speaker system would let staff make safety announcements to customers outside of the venue to assist with crowd control, according to plans.
The venue operator has also submitted separate plans to Lambeth Council to replace eight basement fire doors below the stage in the venue.
It previously said that it has “co-operated fully” with both the police and the council since the tragedy took place.
“We have had regular meetings and discussions with the Metropolitan Police and Lambeth Council at which we have presented detailed proposals that we believe will enable the venue to reopen safely,” it says. “AMG has been awaiting feedback on those proposals for several weeks and looks forward to hearing from the police as soon as possible in constructive terms.”
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