Former Cody Fisher Murder Nightclub to Reopen in Digbeth 2026

Key Points

• The former Crane nightclub in Digbeth, Birmingham, where 23-year-old footballer Cody Fisher was killed on Boxing Day 2022, has been approved to reopen under a new name.
• Birmingham Magistrates’ Court recommended approving a consent order to reinstate the venue’s operating licence following an appeal by licence holder Digital Arts Media Limited.
• The decision followed discussions between Birmingham City Council, West Midlands Police, and the operators to establish new security and public safety measures.
• The consent order requires the venue at 50 Adderley Street to operate under a new senior management team and a rebranded identity.
• Digital Arts Media Ltd agreed to pay £30,000 towards Birmingham City Council’s legal costs as part of the settlement.
• The venue is expected to reopen in the coming months, more than three years after the fatal stabbing.

Digbeth (Birmingham Express) September 12, 2026 – A prominent Birmingham nightclub where talented semi-professional footballer Cody Fisher was brutally murdered on Boxing Day 2022 has been granted permission to reopen its doors under a completely new identity and management structure.

As reported by senior reporter Nick Horner of Birmingham Live, a judge sitting at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court recommended the approval of a consent order restoring the operating licence for the premises situated at 50 Adderley Street in Digbeth. The ruling concludes a lengthy legal process following the initial revocation of the venue’s operational licence in January 2023 by Birmingham City Council’s Licensing and Public Protection Committee following strong representations from West Midlands Police.

The venue, formerly known as Crane, had its operations halted when 23-year-old Cody Fisher—a former Birmingham City academy player who also represented Stratford Town and Bromsgrove Sporting—was fatally attacked on the dance floor. Mr Fisher suffered fatal knife wounds to his chest and leg following a minor, minor-falling out two days prior in Solihull.

Why Was The Operational Licence Restored By Court Ruling?

The decision to permit the venue to reopen stems from a consent order agreement following an appeal lodged by the original licence holder, Digital Arts Media Limited. The company appealed the local authority’s initial decision to strip the club of its licence in January 2023.

As detailed by Nick Horner of Birmingham Live, tri-party discussions involving Birmingham City Council, West Midlands Police, and representatives of the venue took place to assess prospective operational risks and construct a comprehensive regulatory framework.

A spokesman for Birmingham City Council confirmed the legal resolution in an official statement:

“The licence for the Crane Nightclub on 50 Adderley Street was suspended and revoked by the council’s Licensing and Public Protection Committee following the tragic death of Cody Fisher in December 2022. The premises has subsequently remained closed pending the outcome of an appeal by the Premises Licence Holder. Working in partnership with West Midlands Police and the premises licence holder [Digital Arts Media Ltd], we have reached an agreement in which the premises will be able to reopen with a revised licence under which the venue will operate with robust and meaningful safeguards in place and be as safe as possible.”

What Safeguards And Operational Changes Have Been Mandated?

To satisfy statutory licensing objectives concerning public safety and the prevention of crime and disorder, the court and local authorities imposed strict conditions before granting permission for the doors to reopen.

As outlined in court documentation and reported by Birmingham Live, the revised operating conditions mandate that:

• The venue must drop the “Crane” trading name entirely and reopen under a fresh, rebranded identity.
• An entirely new senior management team must be installed to oversee day-to-day operations.
• Upgraded and stringent security search regimes must be implemented at all entry points to eliminate weapons and illegal substances.
• Licence holder Digital Arts Media Ltd must contribute £30,000 towards the legal fees incurred by Birmingham City Council during the appeal proceedings.

Previous attempts to restart operations at the site had hit regulatory roadblocks. Last year, businessman Matthew Boulter of Kanvas Birmingham Limited submitted an independent application for a new licence at 50 Adderley Street. However, as documented in council records and reported by Local TV, the Licensing Sub-Committee rejected that application following concerns raised by West Midlands Police. Police officers highlighted a overlap between the proposed management and an advisor who held shares in Digital Arts Media Ltd, prompting fears over a lack of genuine detachment from the former management structure.

How Did The Original Criminal Proceedings Unfold?

The lethal attack on Cody Fisher inside the Digbeth venue prompted a major murder investigation by West Midlands Police and a 10-week trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

As reported by Pablo Taylor of ITV News Central, prosecutor Michael Duck KC explained during court proceedings that the fatal incident originated from a minor, unavoidable contact inside a crowded Solihull venue on Christmas Eve 2024, where Mr Fisher briefly brushed past defendant Remy Gordon. Gordon subsequently orchestrated a pre-planned act of retribution on Boxing Day night at Crane nightclub.

In March 2024, a jury at Birmingham Crown Court found Remy Gordon and Kami Carpenter guilty of Mr Fisher’s murder. A third defendant, Reegan Anderson, was acquitted of murder and manslaughter but convicted of affray. During the licensing hearings following the murder, barrister Gary Grant, representing West Midlands Police, described the venue’s initial search protocols as inadequate, pointing out that both weapons and illicit drugs had bypassed security checks on the night of the tragedy.

Background Of Particular Development

The venue located at 50 Adderley Street in Digbeth originally opened in October 2022 as a large-scale, multi-room event space designed to host thousands of music fans. However, its operations were cut short after just three months following the death of Cody Fisher on December 26, 2022.

In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, West Midlands Police submitted an expedited review application to Birmingham City Council, resulting in an interim 28-day suspension of the venue’s licence on December 30, 2022. On January 24, 2023, the council’s Licensing Sub-Committee voted unanimously to revoke the licence permanently, citing severe breaches in public safety and venue security.

Digital Arts Media Ltd subsequently exercised its statutory right of appeal under the Licensing Act 2003, preserving the legal standing of the original licence while the venue remained closed. Over the subsequent three-year period, protracted negotiations between police leadership, city council licensing officers, and legal representatives culminated in the consent order presented to Birmingham Magistrates’ Court, paving the way for a strictly controlled reopening.

Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Nightlife Operators, Patrons, And Local Authorities

The restoration of an operational licence to 50 Adderley Street under revised conditions carries significant implications for various stakeholder groups across the West Midlands and the broader UK night-time economy:

• For Clubgoers and Local Patrons: Visitors returning to the rebranded venue can expect significantly heightened security protocols. Enhanced search regimes, including advanced metal detection equipment, ID scanning technology, and increased security staffing levels, will become the mandatory standard. While these measures aim to restore public confidence and guarantee physical safety, they may result in longer queue times and stricter entry checks.
• For Venue Operators and the Night-Time Economy: The ruling establishes a major legal precedent regarding how local authorities and police forces handle severe safety incidents at commercial premises. It demonstrates that licence revocations, while stringent, can be navigated through structural reform, complete operational management replacement, and legal consent orders. It provides a blueprint for how large-capacity venues can rebuild regulatory trust after catastrophic incidents, provided operators accept full accountability and invest heavily in safety infrastructure.
• For Police and Licensing Committees: The outcome highlights a pragmatic approach to venue regulation where enforcement authorities balance public protection against the economic viability of entertainment districts. West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council have established binding security benchmarks that will likely serve as minimum standards for future high-capacity venue applications across the region.