Gatecrasher Birmingham: is it closed for good?

Birmingham’s biggest nightclub, Gatecrasher, was shut down last Halloween weekend, allegedly in response to a stabbing inside the establishment.

Warwick students who arrived on the Uni Express on Friday night were redirected to Players Bar, another venue on Birmingham’s notorious Broad Street.

Only a few months ago, on 15 August, Gatecrasher had its license suspended following a violent outbreak involving a member of the security staff, which left a customer with serious injuries.

Nearby clubs Rainbow and Electric also had their licenses suspended in response to violent incidents.

The suspension was lifted by police after a fortnight, on the agreement that the club terminate its contract with its security firm and limit its 2,480 capacity to 50% for the first week of reopening, before the hearing.

However, the Birmingham Mail reported that further violence could lead to permanent closure.

When asked whether this time the club would be reopening, Gatecrasher spokesman Simon Raine replied: “We certainly hope so,” but was unable to comment on the nature of the incident or how long the closure is expected to last. He claimed that all entry tickets and reservations have been refunded.

According to James Westwood, SU President of Newman University, the license was revoked after a stabbing on Thursday night.

Richard Carr, a second-year Medical student at Birmingham University corroborated the story and told the Boar: “I think the situation is disgraceful and shows a real complacency on the part of club security.”

Gatecrasher have yet to make public the closure on their website.