Brixton Academy is back to its best with rollicking Remi Wolf show
Is the Brixton buzz back? Freelance journalist Cam Howe visits Brixton Academy following its reopening earlier this year to see just how much it has changed.
For almost a year-and-a-half, the Brixton Academy has been closed.
The iconic venue was suspended from operating by Lambeth council, following the 2022 Asake tragedy that led to the deaths of Gaby Hutchinson, 23, and Rebecca Ikumelo, 33.
The council concluded that a “lack of crowd control at the front doors” led to the fatal crush, and the Academy was only able to reopen its doors back in April of this year.
The decision to put the venue on hiatus was completely justified – as Lambeth council put it, the “severity of events” and “risks to public safety” were unacceptable, especially for an established, larger-capacity venue. With this being said, it’s great to have the Academy back, now with noticeably stricter health and safety precautions.
Losing the venue for good would have taken a vital piece of history away from the London music scene.

From starting out as a theatre and cinema in the 1920s, to its time as the Sundown Centre discotheque in the 70s, to becoming the first venue in the UK to receive a 6am license and hosting the country’s first ever legal raves in 1989, the Brixton Academy has experienced numerous transformations.
The list of icons that have graced the stage is endless: Madonna, Dr. Dre, Iron Maiden, The Clash, Bob Dylan, Sex Pistols, The Prodigy, The Rolling Stones and Diana Ross gives you an idea of the variety and prestige of the place.
Throughout its almost century-long existence, the venue has gradually become recognised as an iconic landmark for the local area.
It’s not just the history attached to it that makes the Academy worth keeping around – it’s simply a great place to watch live music.
The sloped floor in the stalls means shorter fans have a much better chance at getting a good view, rather than being stuck staring at the back of a lanky bloke for hours (and as a lanky bloke myself, I can tell you it helps with the guilt).
The stage is framed by columns and arches inspired by the Rialto Bridge in Venice, and the acoustics of the space are perfect for booming vocals.

No better is this demonstrated than with Remi Wolf.
To say that 2024 has been a big year for the 28-year-old Californian would be an understatement – she supported Olivia Rodrigo on her earthshattering Guts World Tour, released her sophomore album Big Ideas, and rounded off the year with a European tour of her own.
It’s always interesting going to see someone famed for their voice, as it’s impossible not to compare their live performance to how they sound on their recordings.
With Remi Wolf, she sounds either exactly the same, or at time even better – she can do pretty much everything with her voice, from belting out choruses, to playfully delivering punchlines, to randomly screeching at the front-barrier fans.
The weather outside in Brixton was miserable on this night, but this was quickly forgotten about by the packed crowd, largely due to the energy that Remi Wolf gives out the second she’s on stage.
She wasted no time in making everyone feel welcome by leading the entire room in a warm up, complete with vocal exercises and a full-body shakeout.

No amount of limbering up could have prepared the crowd to match Remi’s step-count though – strutting, kicking and prancing back and forth for almost two hours, and she didn’t even seem tired.
Remi’s stage presence is exactly as wild, spontaneous and fun as you hope it’s going to be, and her face is expressive enough to make the delivery of every line hit home, even in a big venue like the Academy.
But a big part of what makes a Remi Wolf show work is the band’s chemistry – there’s an obvious bond between Wolf and her ensemble, which includes bassist Maddie Jay, who performed her own stuff as the support act.
At one point, Remi even hopped on the drums herself and went to town for a couple minutes, before lobbing the sticks out for a fan to (hopefully) catch.
This show was the perfect reminder of why Brixton Academy has a reputation for being one of the best places in the Big Smoke to see live music.
Pictured top: Brixton Academy (Picture: Cam Howe)