Joe GallopA petition calling for the O2 Academy Brixton (cap. 2,315) to be saved from closure has reached more than 50,000 signatures.
The Metropolitan Police recently called for the Academy Music Group (AMG)-operated venue to have its licence permanently revoked, following the crowd crush in December that saw two people killed.
It was announced last month that the venue would remain closed for the foreseeable future, with Lambeth Council having announced a “thorough” Health and Safety review.
The South London venue had its licence suspended for an initial three months after fans without tickets tried to enter a gig by Nigerian artist Asake on 15 December last year.
After the incident, a police investigation found that O2 Academy Brixton staff and security guards were accepting bribes to let more people into the venue for sold-out shows. The Security Industry Authority (SIA) is also looking into corruption at the venue.
The petition, set up by Stuart O’Brien to Lambeth Council, has a target of 75,000 signatures.
O’Brien said, “Bring in new security procedures including crowd control to ensure a repeat doesn’t happen, but let’s not turn this venue into soulless flats as would more than likely happen in the event of permanent closure. The loss of this venue would also have a devastating affect on the local economy.”