O2 Academy Brixton has licence suspended for three months following fatal crowd crush in December

Last month Asake's final O2 Academy Brixton show was cut short after fans forced their way into the venue. 23-year-old Gabrielle Hutchinson, who was working as a security contractor at the concert, died alongside 33-year-old Rebecca Ikumelo.

After Lambeth councillors decided to suspend the venue's licence until 16 January, today (16 January) it's been confirmed by MP Florence Eshalomi that the venue's licence has been suspended for a "further three months whilst a comprehensive investigation into the tragic loss of life there in December continues."

"It is welcome that this decision has been agreed on by both the Police and the venue management," Eshalomi's statement continued. "I am also pleased that the Academy recognise the need for additional conditions to be added to their license to improve the safety regime at concerts before they reopen. They are working with the authorities closely on what needs to happen to ensure this, and will submit proposals for approval at a further hearing in due course."

A statement on the latest developments at the Brixton Academy following December’s critical incident: pic.twitter.com/t1KH8n6nT3

— Florence Eshalomi MP (@FloEshalomi) January 16, 2023

Evening Standard reports that Cllr Fred Cowell said, "Both the police and the licence holder have expressed the view that the ongoing investigations are at too early a stage to clearly identify the cause or causes of the fatal incident on the 15th December 2022 and the extent of any remedial steps required to prevent any repetition of a serious incident."

"As a consequence the licensing sub-committee is not presently satisfied that the venue can reopen at this stage without undermining the licensing objectives," Fred Cowell added.