Last Thursday night (December 16th) several people were injured at a crowd stampede during a concert by Nigerian Afrobeat singer Asake at the O2 Academy, Brixton. Four of the victims were hospitalized with critical injuries after the incident, one of whom has since died in hospital.
The crush occurred after a large group of fans outside the venue attempted to force their way into the Academy, with the show going on to be cancelled.
A total of eight people were removed from the scene by ambulance with crush-related injuries, with two others being treated at the scene.
Police were called to the venue at around 9:30pm on the night of the 16th, after reports that large numbers of people were gathered outside the venue, which normally has a capacity of around 5,000 people, and were attempting to force entry into the show. Scenes outside the venue were heated, with some witnesses estimating that up to 1,000 people had gathered without tickets outside the doors, clashing with security and police, adn even trying to force their way through locked doors.
The concert was called off within just ten minutes of it having started, with Asake telling the crowd, “They said outside is fucked up already, so we have to end the show. I don’t know why. It’s not me.”
A further announcement from the team on stage went on to tell the crowd that the situation outside had become severe, with an estimated 3, 000 people attempting to enter the building. The announcement was followed by booing from the crowd.
After the crush, Asake took to his Instagram with this message: “My heart is with those who were injured last night and caused any form of discomfort. I pray you get well soonest. I am also in the process of reaching out to individuals. I still do not have the full brief from the venue management themselves as to what led to the disruption at the entrance of The Brixton Academy, but we are thankful that all was peaceful in the end. For my people who enjoyed the beginning of my performance, I am sorry that it was cut short. Thank you for your unbelievable love London. I love you too much! I’m looking forward to seeing you again in a bit!”
Solomon Smith, who was present at the show, took to twitter to share his feelings:
Not Asake’s fault at all, it was more people who didn’t have tickets turned up with fake tickets… #Asake #Brixton pic.twitter.com/dxDzfCEUY7
— Solomon Smith (@sollysworld) December 15, 2022
The tragic event comes after the release of the Lagos musician’s debut album, Mr Money with the Vibe, in early September this year. Since the release, the album has climbed to become the highest charting debut Nigerian album of all time on the Billboard 200 list, making it to No. 66 in September.
Following the death of one of the victims of Thursday night’s crush, a 33-year-old east London woman who was taken to hospital following the show, Asake is said to be “devastated”, saying on his Instagram, “I am overwhelmed with grief and could never have imagined anything like this happening”.
Police and the venue management are currently working together on a debrief as to why the situation escalated with such tragic consequences.
