Police Push For London’s O2 Academy Brixton Venue To Be Permanently Closed

London’s O2 Academy Brixton venue may be shut down after two people were killed and eight hospitalized during crowd crush at an Asake show on December 15, 2022.

Shortly after the event, O2 Academy Brixton’s license to operate was revoked until January 16, 2023 when the Lambeth Council would discuss the venue’s fate. O2 Academy Brixton’s license was then further revoked so that further investigation could take place into how and why the crush happened. According to a report by Metal Hammer, an anonymous security guard working the Asake show alleged that other guards were taking bribes to allow more people in than the venue allowed.

Now a new report from the BBC reveals that the Metropolitan Police have asked the Lambeth Council to permanently shut the venue down, despite the Academy Music Group (AMG) offering proposals that “will enable the venue to reopen safely.”

“On 14 April, the Met Police submitted an application for a review of premises license to Lambeth Council and will be seeking a revocation of the licence,” said a representative for the police. The rep later added the police have “lost confidence in the premises licence holder” and that AMG has “not been successful in identifying the remedial measures which need to be in place before the Academy can safely re-open.”

AMG has since responded, saying they’ve “co-operated fully with the Metropolitan Police and Lambeth Council since the tragedy at Brixton occurred”.

“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. 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.”

O2 Academy Brixton remains closed. A May 15 meeting is set to discuss the venue’s future. O2 Academy Brixton has been operating as a concert venue since 1983.