UCLU Fresher's Event Moved As Fabric Closes Its Doors For Good
One of UCLU’s Fresher’s week events has been moved to Scala after Islington Council decided to revoke Fabric’s licence.
UCLU’s ‘Ibiza Zoo Party’ was due to be held at the famous London nightclub, Fabric, on the 26th of September as part of their ‘Welcome Club Nights’ series. UCLU was forced to change the venue after a decision last night by Islington Council’s licencing committee to permanently revoke the club’s licence. The ‘Ibiza Zoo Party’ has since been moved to Scala in Kings Cross and will now be happening on the 29th of September.
A representative from UCLU’s Marketing department had this to say about the closure and the new venue: “The decision to close Fabric is a real shame – it has been on our Welcome Festival line up for a number of years and a popular location for UCL students… Scala is a slightly lower capacity venue, meaning that not as many tickets will be available, but we are confident that students will have a fantastic night there none-the-less”.
The decision by Islington Council to close the iconic Farringdon nightclub comes after a series of drug-related deaths at the venue. The most recent death occurred last month when an 18-year old club goer died of a drug overdose which lead to a 28-day, temporary suspension of Fabric’s licence. After investigating the death, the Metropolitan Police asked that Islington Council revoke Fabric’s licence permanently stating that “…the venue is associated with serious drug related crime and risks to public safety.” The Met also pointed out that the club had not complied with recommendations made by them to reduce drug-related deaths such as, using ID scanners, deploying drug sniffing dogs, and introducing a 21 and over admissions policy.
Islington Council has faced criticism over the decision to close the club. An online petition calling for the club to remain open has gathered over 150,00 signatures and many high-profile members of the music industry have made their opposition known on social media. Emily Thornberry, Fabric’s local MP, posted on Facebook on Friday expressing her support for the club, calling it “one of the great cultural institutions in our borough.”
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, also expressed his disappointment in the decision made by Islington Council, stating “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.
“…No single organisation or public body can solve these problems alone – we all need to work together to ensure London thrives as a 24-hour city, in a way that is safe and enjoyable for everyone.”