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Brixton Academy: Fans asked to help save venue after concert crush deaths

Getty Images O2 Academy Brixton pictured lit up at nightGetty Images
The Night Time Industries Association said it would be a "huge blow" if the venue permanently closed

Music fans are being asked to "step up" to save the O2 Academy Brixton from permanent closure.

Lambeth Council is considering revoking the south London venue's licence after a fatal crush at a gig on 15 December.

Two people died after the crowd surge at the concert by singer Asake and the Academy has been closed ever since.

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), which lobbies for the live music sector, wants people to express support for the venue to stay open.

The Met Police recently urged Lambeth Council to strip the venue of its licence due to safety concerns.

However, Michael Kill, CEO of the NTIA, told the BBC the O2 Academy Brixton was "hugely important to the cultural economy of London and the UK and without doubt one of the landmark performance venues in the world".

"This venue has been responsible for shaping and nurturing artists' careers," he said.

Mr Kill added that many live music venues had closed in recent years and losing the "iconic" academy would be "devastating".

The NTIA is asking people to write to the Lambeth Council, urging it to keep the venue open.

Ikumelo and Hutchinson families Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby HutchinsonIkumelo and Hutchinson families
Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson died as a result of the crush

The crush happened when a crowd of more than 1,000 people turned up to a concert, many without tickets, and forced their way into the lobby of the building.

Mother-of two Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, from east London, and Gaby Hutchinson, 23, from Gravesend in Kent - a security contractor working at the venue, were fatally injured. The Met Police investigation into what happened is continuing.

In a recent letter to Lambeth Council, the Met said officers were called to a "large-scale disorder" and arrived to find security staff "completely out of control of the situation".

Concerns have also been raised about the strength of the doors, staffing levels and the provision of medical cover.

The Academy Music Group, which runs the venue, previously said it had made "detailed proposals that we believe will enable the venue to reopen safely".

Lambeth Council is expected to make a decision on the venue's future later this year.

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