Brixton concert crush venue to remain closed for three months

The Brixton 02 Academy is to remain closed for a further three months after two people died following a crush during a concert at the London venue.

Afro-pop singer Asake's gig was cut short when a large number of people tried to enter the foyer of the building on 15 December last year.

Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson were fatally injured in the incident.

Academy Music Group (AGM), which runs the venue, said it would stay closed while several investigations continue.

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

Councillors had been due to meet next week to decide whether to prolong the suspension.

However, AGM said on Friday it had "reflected deeply" and come to its own decision to stay closed.

A spokesperson said: "O2 Academy Brixton recognises the gravity of the events which occurred on the night of 15th December 2022 and expresses its sincere condolences to the families of those who died during the tragic incident and its genuine concerns for anyone affected by it.

"The licence holder (AMG) is committed to understanding what happened and co-operating with the various investigations that are under way including providing full cooperation to the police in the conduct of their inquiries."

Several people were taken to hospital after being injured during the concert.

Mother-of-two Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, from Newham, east London, died two days after the incident, while Gaby Hutchinson, 23, died on 19 December. They were both in the foyer of the building when they were injured.

Videos on social media showed the crowd stretching from the road outside to the venue's doors, one of which was smashed.

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 in which he said he was "devastated".

"I am overwhelmed with grief and could never have imagined anything like this happening," he wrote.