Brixton Academy reopening tonight for first time since fatal crush
O2 Brixton Academy will reopen its doors on Friday, more than a year after it was forced to close following a deadly crowd crush.
Security guard Gaby Hutchinson, 23, and mother-of-two Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, were killed after ticketless fans tried to force their way into a sold-out performance by Afro-pop singer Asake in December 2022, despite the artist's warning that the venue had reached capacity.
The historic venue will reopen on April 19 with performances from tribute bands Nirvana UK and The Smyths.
Gaby Hutchinson and Ms Ikumelo were in the foyer when the incident happened and sustained serious injuries during the chaotic crowd surge. Both later died.
The family of nursing graduate Ms Ikumelo, from Newham, previously described her in a statement as “an adorable mother of two children who loved working with kids”.
She died in hospital two days after the crowd crush.
Gaby Hutchinson was on duty during Asake’s O2 Academy Brixton show, when ticketless fans stormed the venue.
The 23-year-old, from Gravesend in Kent, died in hospital several days later, from injuries sustained in the incident.
In a tribute shared with the BBC, family members said: “Gaby has brought so much love, laughter and inappropriate jokes into our lives and will forever be our baby, our daughter, our sister, our man and our joy.”
A 22-year-old woman who was left in a serious condition following the crush remains in hospital 16 months later, the Metropolitan Police confirmed to the Standard.
In April 2023, the force said they wanted the licence revoked for Brixton Academy — and did not have confidence in the owners to run it safely.
But, councillors decided to restore the venue’s license in September 2023, on the condition it meets “77 extensive and robust new conditions”.
Brixton Academy said it was “immensely grateful” to Lambeth Council and would reopen at first with test events. AMG said changes to its operating policies had been developed by “leading professionals” to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.
The company had done “all in its power to analyse what went wrong”, the barrister representing AMG, Mr Philip Kolvin, added. It is not clear how many of the 77 conditions have been fulfilled.
Several major bands, including the Black Keys, Arcade Fire, and Vampire Weekend, have been booked for performances later this year following the April 19 reopening.
Brixton Academy opened in 1929 as a cinema, before being converted into a discotheque in 1972. It later became a concert hall in 1983.
The venue has previously played host to some of the world’s biggest music stars, including Kings of Leon, Amy Winehouse, The Clash, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Kasabian, Florence and the Machine, and Blur.
