The team behind Manchester’s outdoor food and entertainment venue Freight Island is heading south, and it’s going to be massive. Quite literally – it’s opening what will be London’s largest rooftop venue in Brixton on Thursday May 7. The long-awaited opening was originally set for summer 2024 on a nearby rooftop, but was delayed due to licensing issues.
“Our Brixton venue has four food traders, three bars, and a curated music and entertainment programme, with a similar ethos to Manchester” says James Bidgood, marketing director for Freight Island, tells Broadsheet.
The team opened Manchester’s Freight Island in 2020, taking over a former railway station with an outdoor food hall and quickly establishing itself as a popular entertainment destination. Bidgood hopes that Freight Brixton, with its 1000-person capacity and proximity to Brixton Village Market, will become a new social hub for the area, and not just for the summer – while the venue will be open-air during the warmer months, it will have a roof to keep punters warm during winter.
“Brixton has a rich cultural heritage of music, food, and drink, and that just naturally tied in with our proposition,” Bidgood says. “We’re making sure the music programme fits Brixton, and we’ve got a great, diverse food offering.”
The venue’s programming will follow a regular pattern of genres and types of entertainment, but with different acts and artists each day. On Thursdays, visitors can expect live jazz and soul bands or up-and-coming artists, whereas Fridays will focus more on entertainment like comedy. Saturdays will host headline acts and DJs playing a range of genres, from garage and house to disco and funk.
Freight Brixton is also hoping to become a go-to for sports viewing in south London. “It’ll be a great place to watch the World Cup,” Bidgood says. “There are multiple huge screens … so it’ll be a great space to watch all of the England games.”
Food will be by four different vendors. Expect dishes cooked on an open-fire barbeque, jerk chicken, bao and tacos – with additional vendors in the works for next year.
To wash that down, three bars will serve drinks: Hotel Milano’s aperitivo bar making Italian classics like spritzes, wines, and Negronis; a Casamigos bar offering tequila-based drinks including Margaritas and Palomas; and a house bar focusing on craft beers and draught cocktails.
The decor is also an homage to Freight Brixton’s location. Like the Manchester venue, it’s near train tracks – hence the name – and is decorated to theme with an industrial aesthetic.
“We want to celebrate Brixton and add to an already-vibrant community. We also want to provide opportunities for up-and-coming talent, whether that’s food traders or artists,” Bidgood says. “We’re planning to be there for a long time and really become part of the community.”
Freight Brixton opens on Thursday May 7 at 33 Brixton Station Road, SW9 8PB. Tickets to the opening party are on sale now, or you can book a table.
