Brixton Academy

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Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English Template:Infobox venue

Brixton Academy (originally known as the Astoria Variety Cinema, previously known as Carling Academy Brixton, currently named O2 Academy Brixton as part of a sponsorship deal with the O2 brand) is a mid-sized concert venue located in South London, in the Lambeth district of Brixton.

Opening in 1929 as a cinema, the venue was converted into a discotheque in 1972, then reborn as a concert hall in 1983. It is owned by the Academy Music Group (AMG), and has become one of London's leading music venues,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> hosting over 50 live albums,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and winning the NME Best Venue 12 times since 1994.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It has been home to several notable performances, including The Smiths' last gig (December 1986),<ref name=Smiths/> Leftfield's June 1996 concert which set a decibel record for a live gig at 137db,<ref name=Loud/> and Madonna's gig in 2000, which was watched by an online audience of 9 million.<ref name=mad/>

In December 2022, two people died and others were seriously injured following a crowd crush at the door. As a result the venue was closed, with reopening subject to meeting council licensing conditions. It reopened on 19 April 2024.

History

File:Sex Pistols in Stockwell, 2007-11-03.jpg
Part of the Italian Renaissance interior of the auditorium

The venue started as a cinema and theatre in 1929 on the site of a private garden in Stockwell Road. Designed by the architects Thomas Somerford and E. A. Stone,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> it was built at a cost of £250,000 as an "Astoria" theatre. The opening show was the Al Jolson film The Singing Fool, followed by a variety act, including Heddle Nash and Derek Oldham which was broadcast by the BBC. It had nearly 3000 seats, although the publicity for the theatre reported this as 4500.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The theatre eventually closed its doors as a cinema on 29 July 1972. It was then converted into a discotheque in September 1972, known as the "Sundown Centre".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The club was not a success and closed down some four months later. In May 1974 planning permission was sought to demolish the Grade II listed building and replace it with a motor showroom and petrol station. However, the redevelopment scheme was scrapped. The building was kept heated after it closed, and was used as an equipment store by the Rank Organisation.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1981, the venue was remodelled by Sean Treacy, who later ran the entire site services, was re-opened as a rock venue called "Fair Deal"<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> with a concert by UB40 and an interior restoration. The Clash played the venue in 1982 on their Casbah Club tour (30 July) but the venue closed later that year due to debt. In 1983, Simon Parkes bought the venue for £1, and re-opened it as the Brixton Academy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The academy's success steadily grew throughout the 1980s with numerous reggae productions and it was hired out to major rock and pop acts such as The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Dire Straits and the Police for rehearsal. The venue was also used for video shoots for Wham! (Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go) and Culture Club.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Parkes would go on to write a book about his experience of running the venue, Live At The Brixton Academy: A Riotous Life in the Music Business, which was published in 2014.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In 1995, Parkes sold the theatre to Break for the Border. Under its new ownership (McKenzie Group),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> reinvestment started immediately, with a complete £500,000 refurbishment of the Art Deco building frontage to its original grandeur, additional facilities both front of house and backstage and a capacity increase to just under 5,000. The venue is currently run by the Academy Music Group after a rebranding in August 2004<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and hosts a range of live acts and club nights. With the sale, the venue's title was changed to Carling Academy Brixton. In 2008, naming rights were purchased for £25.5 million by the O2 brand, owned by the Spanish telecommunications company Telefónica.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Being one of the biggest non-arena music venues in London, the academy has been used by many very successful acts. It has also been voted venue of the year 12 times since 1994 in the annual NME Awards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition the venue has won the Music Week Award for Venue of the Year several times including 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2022 Asake concert crush

A crowd crush outside a performance by Asake on 15 December 2022 seriously injured four people,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> two of whom died in the following days.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Guardian cast doubt on early reports that people were trying to force their way in without a ticket.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The newspaper also questioned the management of the building and its entrances.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As a result of the crowd crush, Lambeth councillors met in the early hours of 22 December 2022 and decided to suspend the academy's operating licence following the "severity of events" and "risks to public safety" from "a lack of crowd control at the front doors". The licence was suspended until a full hearing on 16 January 2023,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> when it was suspended for a further three months.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The BBC reported that security staff were said to accept bribes to allow people in without a ticket.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In April 2023 the Metropolitan Police stated that they had no confidence in the holder of the venue's licence and that they were applying for the licence to be revoked.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In September 2023, the police stated that they were not opposed to the venue reopening, but simply opposed to AMG operating it.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 15 September 2023 Lambeth Council announced that the venue was permitted to re-open after the incident,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> providing they meet new licensing conditions including strengthened doors, a new security contractor and additional safety procedures. A full list of the conditions is published online by Lambeth Council.

The venue reopened on 19 April 2024.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Notable performances

File:Sex Pistols at Brixton Academy 2007-11-03 (4).jpg
The decorative proscenium arch, framing the stage, with a concert in progress (Sex Pistols, 2007)

The Smiths played their last gig here in December 1986<ref name=Smiths>Template:Cite web</ref> which was an Anti-Apartheid benefit scheduled for the Royal Albert Hall but rearranged to the Brixton Academy due to Johnny Marr being involved in a car accident.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Ramones played their final European show at the venue on February 3, 1996, before touring for the last time in South and North America.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 23 November 2012, Feeder, played what would turn out to be their last show for four years, with initial speculation in the weeks leading up to the tour that it would be their last ever as a band. It would however be the last ever appearance drummer Damon Wilson would make with the band before his retirement from the industry in 2016.

Madonna played a special concert at the venue in 2000, to promote the release of her album, Music. The concert was broadcast live online and was watched by a record-breaking audience of 9 million.<ref name=mad>Template:Cite web</ref>

Artists such as The Clash, Deborah Harry, The Prodigy, Arcade Fire, Nine Inch Nails and Bob Dylan have all played five consecutive nights at the venue.Template:Citation needed In 2002, Iron Maiden played three consecutive nights as a part of charity event "Clive Aid 2002". The band set the record for merchandise and ticket sales.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Mighty Boosh broke this record in 2008, with their second live show Boosh Live, playing seven consecutive nights.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The xx equalled their record in March 2017, playing seven consecutive nights in support of third record I See You, becoming the first music act to reach that number.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> LCD Soundsystem also did 8 shows in Brixton Academy over two four-day periods in June 2025 between June 12th-15th and June 19th-22nd <ref>https://www.aegpresents.co.uk/event/lcd-soundsystem/#:~:text=LCD%20Soundsystem%20are%20set%20to,19th%20%E2%80%93%20Sunday%2022nd%20June%202025.</ref>

Leftfield set the world's decibel record for a live concert in 1996 when they reached 137db.<ref name=Loud>Template:Cite web Alt URL</ref> They were summarily banned from using the same sound system at the venue after the high bass levels started disintegrating the ceiling, resulting in showers of dust and plaster.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They returned in 2000 using a different sound system.Template:Citation needed

Albums recorded at Brixton

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Videos recorded at Brixton

References

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