Christopher BarrettThe future of the O2 Academy Brixton (cap. 4,921) is to be decided at a Licensing Review Hearing following the crowd crush at the venue on 15 December that resulted in two deaths and the serious injury of a third person who remains hospitalised.
Operated by the Academy Music Group (AMG), the Grade II-listed building had its licence suspended following the incident that saw fans without tickets try to enter a show by Nigerian artist Asake. The award-winning venue has remained closed ever since.
The future of the venue will be determined at the Review held at Lambeth Town Hall on 11-12 September. The meeting of Lambeth’s Licensing Sub-Committee will be attended by venue representatives and the Metropolitan Police. The meeting will be streamed live online.
Since the venue’s closure, AMG has submitted a series of planning applications including to replace eight fire doors at basement level below the stage, the replacement of the circle front guardrail and mid-circle rail, the installation of a tannoy system consisting of 20 speakers to the exterior of the venue, the fixing of additional exterior lights, and erection of new crowd control barriers.
Lambeth Council said it is still undertaking a Health and Safety review of the venue having appointed Paul Martin, the former CEO of multiple councils, to independently lead the health and safety investigation into the incident, acting under Regulation 3 and Schedule 1 of the Health and Safety (Enforcing Authority) Regulations 1998. It said Martin has worked closely with the Metropolitan Police on the investigation into the incident.
There are currently two outstanding applications in relation to the venue, a licence variation submitted by AMG and a licence review submitted by the Metropolitan Police, both of which will be considered by the Licensing Sub-Committee meeting.
The Met Police is undergoing a criminal investigation and is understood to be considering a range of potential offences.
With its Art Deco interior and Europe’s largest fixed stage, the O2 Academ,y Brixton has hosted countless landmark shows by acts ranging from Madonna to the Sex Pistols, Radiohead and the Rolling Stones. Artists such as The Prodigy, Muse and Skunk Anansie alongside media brands including Mixmag, NME and Music Week, and more than 100,000 music fans have petitioned to keep the Academy open.
Cllr Mahamed Hashi, Lambeth’s Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, said, “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson who lost their lives, as well as with the person who is still in hospital, and all those suffering the trauma of witnessing such distressing scenes at one of our borough’s live music venues.
“We are determined to use the powers we have available to us to make sure the lessons of this tragedy are learnt, and that we never see a traumatic incident like this again in Lambeth.”
The Licensing Review Hearing will be available to watch here.