Brixton Academy music venue must meet 77 conditions to reopen, council rules

Popular south London music venue shut in December after crowd crush outside show by Afro-pop singer Asake left two people dead

Brixton O2 Academy was shut nine months ago after a deadly crush (PA Archive)

Brixton Academy can only re-open once the venue has met 77 “extensive and robust” conditions “designed to promote public safety”, Lambeth Council has said.

The popular south London music venue was shut in December after a crowd crush outside a show by Afro-pop singer Asake left two people dead.

In a statement on Friday, Lambeth Council’s cabinet member for safer communities, Mahamed Hashi, said the authority’s licensing subcommittee would permit Brixton Academy to reopen “only once it has met 77 extensive and robust new conditions designed to promote public safety”.

The conditions include stronger doors, new crowd management systems, more detailed risk assessments, a new ticketing system, a centralised control and command centre and new security and management. In a statement, the venue said it would re-open with a series of test events.

Dr Hashi said: “They were among the measures proposed by (owners) AMG (Academy Music Group) at the hearing to support their aim of regaining the venue’s licence so it can reopen, and making sure we never see a tragedy again like the one there in December 2022.

“At the hearing the council’s licensing officers asked that AMG’s initial proposals were greatly strengthened,” he added. “This was accepted by the operator. In total 77 conditions have been agreed by the subcommittee to allow reopening.

“The investigation into whether any criminal offences have been committed is being led by the Met Police, and their work continues. Lambeth Council will do everything we can to support this police investigation so that there are answers and justice for the families of Rebecca Ikumelo and Gabrielle Hutchinson, who tragically lost their lives at the Academy in December.”

Rebecca Ikumelo was 33 years-old when she died (PA)

One of the victims, Rebecca Ikumelo, died days after the crush in December, leaving behind two young sons, aged seven and five. The other victim of the crush, Gaby Hutchinson, 23, from Gravesend in Kent also died from her injuries.

After Friday’s hearing Academy Music Group (AMG), which owns Brixton Academy, said it was “immensely grateful” to Lambeth Council for its decision to restore the venue’s licence.

AMG said the academy would re-open with a series of test events and the timeline for reopening would be announced in due course.

Gaby Hutchinson also died after the crowd crush at the O2 Brixton Academy (PA Wire)

The statement added: “We continue to be devastated by the events of last December. Our heartfelt condolences remain with the family and friends of Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson. What happened was and is a tragedy and we are committed to ensuring that it can never be repeated.

“Over the past nine months, 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.

“Academy Music Group is determined to learn all appropriate lessons from the night of December 15 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.

“We appreciate having had the opportunity to present these detailed proposals and revised licence conditions at the hearing and we are very grateful they met with the approval of the Licensing Sub-Committee.”