Asake says his ‘heart goes out to those who were hurt’ after apparent crowd crush at Brixton concert

Singer-songwriter Asake said his “heart goes out to those who were hurt” after an apparent crowd crush at his concert at Brixton’s O2 Academy.

Four people are in a critical condition, the Metropolitan Police said, after eight were taken to hospital by ambulance on Thursday evening.

Nigerian artist Afrobeats said in a statement on Instagram: “My heart goes out to those who were hurt last night and caused any form of discomfort. Please get well soon.

“They are also in the process of reaching out to individuals.

“We still do not have the full summary from venue management as to what led to the disruption at the Brixton Academy entrance, but we are grateful that everything was peaceful in the end.

“To my people who enjoyed the beginning of my performance, I’m sorry it was interrupted.

“Thank you for your incredible love, London. I love you too much! I can’t wait to see you again soon!”

Asake, whose real name is Ahmed Ololade, was recently nominated for the BBC Radio 1 Sound of 2023 award for UK breakthrough artists.

Lambeth Police and other emergency services were called to the scene on Stockwell Road after 9.30pm following reports of injuries after “a large crowd tried to get in without tickets”.

The injuries were believed to have been caused by “crushing”, according to Scotland Yard police officers. No arrests have been made.

The concert was eventually canceled halfway through, with fans of the Nigerian singer saying: “The reason we have to stop the show is because they broke the doors.

“You have 3,000 people breaking down the doors outside and because of security the police asked us to close the show.”

Images posted online showed large crowds outside the building, many people holding cellphones and filming the scene.

A resident who lives near the O2, John, 32, who declined to give his surname, said police arrived after the gig was cancelled.

“I saw everyone at the front door of Brixton Academy, (then) everything stopped,” he said.

“It looked like the gig was cancelled, then some commotion, some pushing and shoving, and the police came shortly afterwards. That’s when he started and became aggressive.”

He added: “You could say there was tension.”

He said the glass on the doors to the front of the O2 had been smashed and some individuals were “really pushing and shoving and trying to break the door and force their way in”.

Another witness, who was in the venue’s upstairs seating area, told Sky News that Asake only performed three songs after taking to the stage just before 10pm, before the announcement to stop the show to be done.

They said: “The gates opened at 7pm, I got there an hour later at around 8pm and managed to get into the venue relatively quickly. Everyone was going crazy when Asake took the stage.

“Then we started hearing some loud noises, including banging and screaming. We decided to leave before the chaos worsened.

“In the foyer you could see the huge crowd of people from outside. They were packed like sardines. They had blocks all the way out of the place.”

They added that they have now asked for a full refund of the tickets.

A statement from Asake posted on Twitter before the show, asked fans not to come to the venue unless they have a valid ticket.

Metropolitan Police Gold Commander Ade Adelekan urged people to “be sensitive about what they share” on social media and “not to post material that will be upsetting to those affected by this incident”.

He added that officers who used force “know they have to answer for their actions”, adding that the Met’s Professional Standards Directorate will review all footage, including body-worn video footage from those at the scene.

“This is an extremely distressing incident which has left four people seriously ill in hospital. My thoughts and prayers are with them and their families,” Mr. Adelekan said.

“A police investigation has been launched which will be as thorough and forensic as necessary to establish exactly what happened last night.

“The scene will be examined by specialist officers, CCTV will be viewed, every witness we can come into contact with will be spoken to and all other lines of inquiry will be followed.

“Officers remain in the area to provide reassurance to the local community in and around Brixton. If you have any information or concerns, please speak to them.”

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, tweeted: “My thoughts are with everyone affected by the horrific incident at Brixton Academy.

“An urgent investigation is ongoing and I remain in close contact with the Met Commissioner since last night.”

Police have appealed for witnesses to get in touch and anyone with mobile phone footage that could be helpful to get in touch via @MetCC on Twitter.