After two recent drug-related deaths at The Fabric London & a police investigation that labelled the club as “A save haven for drugs.” The authorities had removed temporarily the club’ license & had raised concern in the DJs’ community which multiplied messages prompting to reopen the club. Vainly, last night, the Islington Council took the decision to revoke permanently its license.
London’s iconic Fabric will close after a licensing review meeting at Islington Town Hall last night. Fabric temporarily closed their doors in early August after the deaths of two teenagers earlier this year. Despite Fabric’ refutation of allegations, stating : “Any suggestion that we are not 100% committed to tackling drugs on the premises is completely false.”, the club’s license was suspended for 28 days almost immediately following the club’s own regulatory measures so that the Metropolitan Police could investigate the deaths themselves.
London mayor Sadiq Khan to take action to keep the club open. Kahn stood in solidarity with Fabric, asking them to work with Islington Council and the Met to find a solution that was safe for the patrons while keeping Fabric in business. He wrote on the change.org petition that was started in support of keeping Fabric open :
“ Clubbing needs to be safe. There have been two tragic deaths at Fabric over recent months and there are clearly issues that need addressing.” – Sadiq Khan, London mayor
After the final closure announced, London mayor has issued a statement on yesterday’s Islington Council decision to revoke the license of Fabric :
” London’s iconic clubs are an essential part of our cultural landscape, clubbing needs to be safe but I’m disappointed that Fabric, Islington Council and the Metropolitan Police were unable to reach agreement on how to address concerns about public safety. As a result of this decision, thousands of people who enjoyed going to Fabric as an essential part of London’s nightlife will lose out.
The issues faced by Fabric point to a wider problem of how we protect London’s night-time economy, while ensuring it is safe and enjoyable for everyone. This decline must stop if London is to retain its status as a 24-hour city with a world-class nightlife. No single organisation or public body can solve these problems alone. ” – Sadiq Khan, London mayor
Fabric issued its own statement on the decision earlier today, (read the full statement here) saying:
“ We are extremely disappointed with Islington Council’s decision to revoke our license. This is an especially sad day for those who have supported us, particularly the 250 staff who will now lose their jobs. Closing fabric is not the answer to the drug-related problems clubs like ours are working to prevent, and sets a troubling precedent for the future of London’s night time economy.
We want to also say a huge thank you to the support we received, 150,000 of you signed the petition to support us and London’s nightlife. All of our community – fellow promoters, artists, venues, friends, magazines, blogs, ravers all our family have backed us online offering up their platforms and resources – we have been deeply touched by seeing you all rally together behind us.
It’s too early to comment on what our next step will be, but for now we have asked Resident Advisor to issue refunds for all the upcoming events we have sold tickets for. ” – Fabric London
In the past eight years, London has lost 50% of its nightclubs.