The 02 Academy Brixton is set to reopen with two nights of tribute acts on Friday, 19 April and Friday, 26 April.
In an announcement on social media, the Academy Music Group confirmed it will finally reopen the South London venue after it was shuttered following a tragic incident in December 2022.
It reads: "O2 Academy Brixton will reopen on Friday 19 April with Nirvana UK (tribute to Nirvana) and The Smyths (tribute to The Smiths), followed by Friday 26 April with Definitely Mightbe (tribute to Oasis) and UK Foo Fighters (tribute to Foo Fighters)."
The venue's licence was temporarily revoked when gig-goers Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, and Gaby Hutchinson, 23, died during a performance by Afrobeats singer Asake. While people were waiting outside the venue prior to the show, numerous individuals tried to force their way into the building, leading to overcrowding and an eventual fatal crush. A third person was sent to hospital in critical condition.
The Metropolitan Police later called for the temporary closure to be made permanent.
But Lambeth Council announced in September last year that the venue could reopen with a series of test events providing it meets 77 'extensive and robust' conditions to ensure public safety.
At the time, Academy Music Group expressed thanks at the Council's decision, saying: “Over the past nine months the venue’s importance to the local community and the live music scene in the UK has been made clear through first-hand professional testimony, campaigns, and petitions as well as economic assessments demonstrating the financial impact to the surrounding area caused by the closure.
“Academy Music Group is determined to learn all appropriate lessons from the night of December 15, 2022. Working at a senior level with experts across all disciplines, AMG presented a comprehensive, multi-faceted response for the licensing authorities to support their case for the safe and secure reopening of the venue."
pic.twitter.com/9TDQb18v8wMarch 4, 2024
