In photos: squatters evicted after the Brixton Dogstar is taken over for the second time

Squatters returned to the empty Dogstar building on Coldharbour Lane recently, but found themselves being evicted last Tuesday. Once a legendary landmark Brixton venue that used to attract huge queues …

Mar 2, 2026 - 07:17

In photos: squatters evicted after the Brixton Dogstar is taken over for the second time

Squatters returned to the empty Dogstar building on Coldharbour Lane recently, but found themselves being evicted last Tuesday.

Once a legendary landmark Brixton venue that used to attract huge queues along the street on weekends, a post-Covid slump combined with some catastrophic mismanagement saw the venue close its doors in October 2024.

The premises were then almost immediately squatted before the occupants were evicted after a month’s stay.

Above and below: squatters leaving the building last week.

What’s happening at the Dogstar?

Brixton Buzz has been in contact with several local backers who were keen to reopen the venue, but the combination of a £3.2m asking price (for what is essentially a shell of a building) and the collapse of Coldharbour Lane’s night economy makes it a risky and unattractive investment.

Our understanding is that the building is owned by a pension fund company who have expressed no interest in letting people reopen part of the building as a ‘meanwhile’ space, even if that would generate some income for them.

Our guess is that the building is going to remain empty for a long time, and that’s a real loss to Brixton.

No help from Lambeth

Given how freely they’ve thrown millions at failed projects like Homes For Lambeth, it’s a shame Lambeth couldn’t have secured the building as a community asset, providing much needed DJ, band, gig, art and theatre space along with workshops, rehearsal rooms, film studios etc for the local youth.

The borough’s recently launched night-time economy plans also looks unlikely to help rejuvenate a moribund Coldharbour Lane…