Brixton O2 Academy to remain closed for three months after fatal crush that left two people dead

16 January 2023, 15:32

Brixton's O2 Academy has had its licence suspended for a further three months after two people died in a concert crush in December.

Lambeth councillors voted on Monday afternoon to suspend Brixton O2 Academy's licence after the deaths of security guard Gaby Hutchinson, 23, and concert-goer Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, at a gig on 15 December.

Afro-pop singer Asake's concert was cut short after large groups of people reportedly tried to enter the South London venue without tickets.

Asake, who had urged fans without tickets not to turn up at the venue before his first Brixton concert, released a statement following Ms Ikumelo's death, saying he was "devastated".

The owner of the venue, Academy Music Group (AMG), had already announced on Saturday that the venue's doors would remain shut for three months.

AMG said it had "reflected deeply" on the incident and had decided to stay closed regardless of an impending licensing decision by the local council.

Police had applied for a review of the venue’s licence, telling councillors it believed the venue was associated with “serious crime and serious disorder” in the wake of the crush.

The venue's licence had previously been suspended by Lambeth Council until today, 16 January.

The AMG have said the three-month closure will allow time for the investigations to take place, adding that it was "committed to understanding what happened" and "providing full co-operation to the police".