Brixton Culture Capital 19.01.2026
The Brixton Problem: Why 22 Venue Closures Are a Symptom, Not the Story
Over the last two years, at least 22 nightlife and hospitality venues have closed in Brixton.
That’s not nostalgia talking. It’s structural.
I’ve spent a lot of time this week looking at what’s really happening. I’ve spoken to restaurant owners, community leaders, and business operators — and their experience on the ground is often very different to what we’re hearing. The Mayor recently released a report on the night-time economy across London, so I sat down and read hundreds of pages... What came out of all of that is this piece.
This isn’t about blame. It’s about clarity. If you live, work, or run something in Brixton after dark, this is affecting you — and it’ll probably resonate. Read it, and reply with what you think I’m missing. The better we understand the problem, the better our chances of actually addressing it.
And below, as always, is what’s on this week.
🎟️ What’s On – Events in Brixton (Thu 19 Feb → Wed 25 Feb)
🎶 Music & Nightlife
✨ Thu, 19 Feb – Synthicide w/ Sarin, Slash Need & The Mall @hootanannybrixton
🕒 7:00 PM–11:00 PM | Darkwave with teeth: fog, lasers, and punchy synth lines that sit somewhere between goth-electronica and punk energy. If you’ve been saying “Brixton needs weirder nights,” this is your receipt 🎟️ Event info
✨ Thu, 19 Feb – ANOTHER COUNTRY + MM’99 + Stone @windmillbrixton
🕒 7:45 PM | A proper Windmill bill: electronic/visual collision from ANOTHER COUNTRY’s “Cursed Fame” EP launch, plus MM’99 and Stone bringing sharp edges and fast turns. Come early, stand close, leave with a new favourite band. 🎟️ Event info
✨ Fri, 20 Feb – Jungle Splash (Free Jungle Rave) @brixtonjamm
🕒 10:00 PM–4:00 AM | South London jungle chaos, back on Brixton Road. It’s free-but-capacity is real: grab a ticket, show up on time, and brace for full-system pressure—classic breaks, MC energy, and that “why am I smiling this hard?” 2AM moment.
🎟️ Event info
✨ Fri, 20 Feb – Two Shell & Jack Harlow: 4 Fridays at Phonox @phonoxlondon
🕒 10:00 PM–4:00 AM | Two Shell do what they do best: twist garage, bass and pop-glitch into something that shouldn’t work—but does. Hosted by Jack Harlow, so expect a crowd that wants both weird drops and big moments.
🎟️ Event info
🎨 Art & Heritage
✨ Thu, 19 Feb – Inaugural BCA Marika Sherwood Lecture: “The Struggle for History” @bcaheritage
🕒 6:00 PM–9:00 PM | A Brixton room-filler: Professor Hakim Adi leads a conversation on how Black British history survives—through archives, activism, and community memory. Come for the ideas, stay for the questions you’ll keep turning over after. 🎟️ Reserve your seat
✨ Fri, 20 Feb – SALON/25 (Annual Members’ Exhibition) @photofusionuk
🕒 10:00 AM–6:00 PM | Last chance weekend energy: dozens of photographers, loads of styles, and that gallery-chat hum where you overhear a stranger explain a print better than the wall text. Pop in, pick your favourite, and actually say why.
🎟️ Exhibition info
✨ Tue, 24 Feb – The Winning Fund Exhibition @photofusionuk
🕒 10:00 AM–6:00 PM | Fresh hang on the walls: a new Photofusion show celebrating a photographic legacy, with work that leans into craft and story over shortcuts. Go mid-day for space to look properly—no rushing, no queueing for the “best” piece.
🎟️ Exhibition info
🧩 Everything Else (community, food, workshops, markets, talks)
✨ Sat, 21 Feb – Hidden River Effra (Walking Tour) @lambethtourguides
🕒 12:00 PM–1:30 PM | Herne Hill → central Brixton, following the river you can’t see (until you suddenly can). Expect proper local history, odd infrastructure details, and that satisfying feeling of “I’ve walked this route a hundred times and knew none of this.” 🎟️ Tour details
✨ Sat, 21 Feb – Brixton Library LGBTQ+ Zine Fair @lambethlibraries
🕒 12:00 PM–4:30 PM | Zines, tables, chats, and that DIY buzz where everyone’s printing, swapping, and recommending something. Go to browse, leave with a stack—and probably an idea for your own page one. 🎟️ Event info
✨ Sat, 21 Feb – Six Nations FanPark: England v Ireland @4thefans_uk
🕒 1:00 PM–7:00 PM | Big screens, proper noise, and a Brixton crowd that treats every tackle like it’s personal. Heated/covered outdoor setup at Brixton Jamm means you can watch without freezing—then argue the ref call-by-call like it’s your job.
🎟️ Tickets
👉 One CTA: got an event we should list next week? Drop the link + organiser IG handle and we’ll slot it in.
Stop working from home, work from Brixton's most loved coworking. £200/m. Business address @ £12.50/m and Private office @ £400/person @ Impact Brixton.
TheBccList Film & Theatre Guide
🍿 Thu–Wed – The President’s Cake @ The Ritzy
A razor-sharp coming-of-age journey through 1990s Iraq: one schoolgirl must bake Saddam’s birthday cake, so she hits Baghdad’s streets for flour, sugar, eggs — and survival. Funny, tense, and quietly devastating when the “mission” turns moral.
🧪 Rotten Tomatoes: 100% 🎟️ Book Now
🎭 Thu–Sat – Far Gone @ Brixton House
A one-man powerhouse tracing a boy’s path from childhood to forced soldiering in Northern Uganda. With humour and physical storytelling, John Rwothomack pulls you close — then makes you sit with what violence does to identity, family, and belonging. 🎟️ Book Tickets
Got a Brixton event, launch or screening worth shouting about? Send it to us — we’ll feature the best of the borough. 👉 Email: bcc@brixtonalchemist.com
Brixton Discounts
Impact Brixton- Free £35 coworking trial day pass for new readers of TheBcclist who have never visited IB . One time application Promocode is “bcclist”
Nuvola Pizza- Half-price pizza deal on Tuesdays at Nuvolapizza in Market Row, Brixton. Nuvolapizza is offering 50% off all pizzas on Tuesday.
Have a story or an event to share? Get in touch.
Until next Thursday, 11.11am
The BCC list