Only The Poets Host Jubilant Gig At Brixton Academy For Only £1

Only The Poets

O2 Academy, Brixton

2nd February 2026

Photography by Nadine Goetz

Emma Harrison

Aspiring journalist who is fond of music and writing about it. You can probably find me in a crowd with a lukewarm pint of cider.

Only The Poets offered fans a celebratory night at Brixton’s O2 Academy for only £1 in a stand against the state of the industry

From the moment you stepped inside Brixton Academy, there was a striking positive atmosphere and sense of community that hit you immediately. You could feel the relentless excitement from the doors opening to the final song of the encore: a clear sign that this wasn’t just a gig, but something that felt bigger.

Only The Poets had reached a huge milestone in their career only days earlier with the long-awaited release of their debut album, ‘And I’d Do It Again’, but this £1 show at O2 Brixton was about far more than celebrating their first ever album. It was a stand against the current state of the music industry – the soaring ticket prices, limited opportunities for young artists, and the closure of grassroots venues.

After announcing this £1 gig back in September, the band were catapulted into the spotlight of the indie music scene, bringing with them their refined sound and an enduring message about gig accessibility and championing new music, both of which were unmissable at Brixton.

Not only were the tickets capped at £1, but both support slots were given to unsigned, independent artists, Bristol-based indie-rock band Belle Dame and alt-pop singer-songwriter SEREN. Between her soulful vocals, SEREN took a moment to acknowledge the importance of what Only The Poets are doing, saying it “gives a girl from the Cotswolds a chance”.

Only The Poets were met with cheers when they took to the stage to begin their much-anticipated show with ‘I Keep On Messing It Up’, which ended in an explosion of red confetti – kicking off this long-awaited celebration.

Throughout their performance, Only The Poets demonstrated their versatility as a band, moving effortlessly from the smooth vocals and groovy drumbeats of R&B-inspired ‘Thinking ‘Bout Your Ex’ to the powerful pop-punk belts of ‘Freeze’. For ‘Bad’, the stage flooded with red lights as the band elevated the track for their live performance with a crunchy guitar solo and thunderous drum crescendo.

After ‘Saké’ made the venue shake and the balcony bounce, Longhurst thanked the crowd for coming, revealed that their debut album had reached number 10 in the UK charts, and took a moment to reinforce their message about gig accessibility. He was met with an ear-splitting cheer that felt like it lasted for minutes and left your ears ringing.

Urging the audience to “keep up the conversation that live music should be accessible”, he spoke about the “beautiful energy” of gigs and the sense of “escapism” they bring, adding, “we live in a painful world and this brings us together”.

Undoubtedly, this performance wasn’t just a triumphant showcase of their new synth-infused indie-pop sonics, it was a loud and unignorable shout for change within the music industry.