O2 Academy Brixton Set To Reopen 16 Months After Deadly Crowd Crush That Killed Two People

The O2 Academy Brixton is set to reopen, 16 months after a deadly crush at the venue took the lives of two people.

The venue was faced with permanent closure following the deaths of mother Rebecca Ikumelo, 33 and security guard Gaby Hutchinson, 23 at a show for Nigerian artist Asake in December 2022.

The Metropolitan police petitioned Lambeth council to revoke the location’s license during a two-day hearing last September.

The venue can now operate as long as it meets ’77 extensive and robust new conditions’.

The first shows back will see a Nirvana, the Smiths, Oasis, Foo Fighters tribute acts in April.

O2’s announcement has drawn sharp criticism online, with social media users calling out the lack of acknowledgement of the tragedy and how the venue plans over safety moving forward.