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

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

Lambeth Council is considering revoking the southbound London venue's licence aft a fatal crush astatine a gig connected 15 December.

Two radical died aft the assemblage surge astatine the performance by vocalist Asake and the Academy has been closed ever since.

The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), which lobbies for the unrecorded euphony sector, wants radical to explicit enactment for the venue to enactment open.

However, Michael Kill, CEO of the NTIA, told the BBC the O2 Academy Brixton was "hugely important to the taste system of London and the UK and without uncertainty 1 of the landmark show venues successful the world".

"This venue has been liable for shaping and nurturing artists' careers," helium said.

Mr Kill added that galore unrecorded euphony venues had closed successful caller years and losing the "iconic" academy would beryllium "devastating".

The NTIA is asking radical to constitute to the Lambeth Council, urging it to support the venue open.

The crush happened erstwhile a assemblage of much than 1,000 radical turned up to a concert, galore without tickets, and forced their mode into the lobby of the building.

Mother-of 2 Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, from eastbound London, and Gaby Hutchinson, 23, from Gravesend successful Kent - a information contractor moving astatine the venue, were fatally injured.

In a caller letter to Lambeth Council, the Met said officers were called to a "large standard disorder" and arrived to find information unit "completely retired of power of the situation".

Concerns person besides been raised astir the spot of the doors, staffing levels and the proviso of aesculapian cover.

The Academy Music Group, which runs the venue, antecedently said it had made "detailed proposals that we judge volition alteration the venue to reopen safely".

Lambeth Council is expected to marque a determination connected the venue's aboriginal future this year.