​Brixton Academy will reopen with series of “test events”

Previously shuttered venue Brixton Academy has been given the signal to reopen with a series of “test events”, some nine months after the fatal crowd crush that left two dead.

Brixton Academy’s licence was temporarily revoked following a deadly crowd crush in the venue’s foyer during a show from artist Asake in December 2022. The Metropolitan Police reported at the time that around 1,000 people surged inside the venue without tickets during the performance.

The South London venue was given the green light by Lambeth Council to reopen last week (September 15) provided it meets “77 extensive and robust” safety conditions, each designed to promote and ensure public safety.

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A series of “test events” will now be able to go ahead, although reopening dates and schedules for the first shows have yet to be announced.

In a statement from Academy Music Group (AMG) which gave thanks to Lambeth Council on its decision to grant the venue’s reopening, it explained its “determination” to learn “all appropriate lessons from the night of December 15, 2022”.

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“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,” it reads.

“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.”

Brixton Academy’s official reopening dates will be announced soon.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag’s Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter