Sombr criticised Brixton Academy during his performance last night on March 10, describing it as “the most poorly managed venue I’ve ever played at in my life”.
The performer had a three night run at the 5,000 capacity venue between March 8 and March 10. During the final night, he stopped the performance to call out security staff after a fan in the audience collapsed and did not receive immediate attention.
“Alright, stop the show, guys, there’s someone passed out over here,” he said while performing, pointing toward the part of the crowd where the situation happened. “This is the most poorly managed venue I’ve ever played at in my life.”
“You guys need to pay attention, it’s insane,” he told security. “Safety comes first.”
Brixton Academy had previously been shut down for more than a year following a crowd incident at an Asake concert in December 2022, where two people lost their lives.
Following the tragedy, Lambeth Council removed the venue’s licence and the Metropolitan Police reportedly pushed for the venue to remain permanently closed as it faced an uncertain future.
Uncertainty around the venue continued until a review concluded that Brixton Academy could reopen provided it followed strict new safety requirements. A total of 77 safety conditions were introduced before the venue eventually reopened in April 2024.
Brixton Academy has yet to release an official statement regarding what happened during Sombr’s performance. NME has contacted Academy Music Group seeking a response.
In other news, Sombr also spoke with NME while attending the red carpet at the 2026 BRIT Awards. During the interview he talked about his admiration for British music and said he believes the UK produces more “iconic acts” than the United States.
When asked why he feels such a strong connection to the UK, he explained that it comes largely from artists such as “The Beatles, the Stones, David Bowie, and Elton John” who influenced him. He also mentioned Manchester acts including The Stone Roses, The Verve and Oasis as major inspirations.
“The list goes on,” he said, adding that he planned to walk around during the event to “try to introduce myself” to some of the musicians he admires.
“I just love it here,” he added. “It’s the music that comes from the UK [that clicks with me]. In my opinion, I love America, but I think acts from the UK just beat them, in terms of iconic acts”.
He also performed Undressed and Back To Friends during the ceremony. The performance drew attention when it suddenly stopped after someone ran on stage and shoved him off the platform while wearing a shirt that said “Sombr is a homewrecker”. He later clarified that the interruption was staged as part of the performance.
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