Brixton Academy licence hearing set for next month

A licence hearing to determine the future of Brixton Academy has been confirmed for next month.

• READ MORE: Artists and industry speak out to save Brixton Academy: “It’d be a tragedy to lose such an iconic venue”

The iconic London venue drew controversy last year following a fatal crowd crush that occurred at an Asake concert. The event — which left two dead and one in critical condition — ultimately led to the academy having its licence suspended for three months.

Since then, the Metropolitan Police claimed to have “lost confidence” in the safety of the venue and back in April made a push for the location to close its doors for good.

On September 11 and 12, a Licensing Review Hearing into the immediate future of the venue will be held at Lambeth Town Hall.

In a statement, the Night Time Industries Association & Save Our Scene said: “This is a critical moment for the venue as it will determine its future, and will require as much support as possible throughout this hearing.”

Earlier this year, a fresh campaign was launched to save Brixton Academy. The NTIA said the venue “has been part of the cultural tapestry of London” and “one of the most celebrated venues in the UK, hosting performance royalty from a hugely diverse internationally acclaimed pool of talent, including Eddie Izzard, Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Groove Armada, Rema, Little Simz, Little Britain, Davido, Arctic Monkeys, Skrillex, Stormzy, Kylie Minogue, Ziggy Marley, Burnaboy, LCD Soundsystem, Rihanna, on top of the countless award ceremonies and ambassadorial moments representing the UK globally.”

You can support the campaign here.

NTIA CEO Michael Kill said the venue “is a huge part of the cultural economy within London and the UK, and is without doubt one of the landmark performance spaces in the world. It is responsible for shaping and nurturing artists’ careers past and present.”

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