An Edinburgh nightclub has received a formal warning from the city’s licensing board following ongoing police concerns regarding overcrowding and the presence of underage individuals. Garibaldi’s, located on Hanover Street, has faced scrutiny for repeated issues, including previous licence violations.
The establishment was compelled to close for a month last year due to earlier breaches and operated with a restricted 1am closing time, rather than its usual 3am, for a four-month period. Ownership of the nightclub transferred in July 2025 to Adrian Cichy, shortly after the previous restrictions on its opening hours concluded. However, police reports indicate that similar problems have re-emerged under the new management.
During a recent licensing board meeting, a representative from Police Scotland outlined a series of incidents, highlighting worries about public safety due to excessive patron numbers and the potential for those under 18 to gain entry. Police Sergeant Grant Robertson conveyed his reluctance to bring the nightclub back before the board, but felt it was necessary as the service had been “unable to make progress” in addressing the concerns.
Sergeant Robertson stated that overcrowding issues were posing a “risk to public safety”. He presented a detailed account of several incidents to the councillors for their consideration.
One notable event occurred in the early hours of November 22. Officers encountered a 16-year-old attempting to enter the venue, who had a Garibaldi’s entry stamp on his wrist and was carrying a fake identification document. The teenager informed police that other members of his school year were already inside the club.
While police were unable to definitively confirm the presence of underage individuals inside from CCTV footage, they observed that door staff were not consistently carrying out ‘Challenge 25’ age verification checks. , officers noted numerous “younger looking groups” within the premises.
In a separate incident on December 13, a young woman reported to door staff that she believed her drink had been tampered with. She alleged that the door staff responded by shouting at her and instructing her to leave. The glass in question was subsequently removed, which prevented further forensic investigation. A review of CCTV footage by police did not identify anything being placed in the glass.
Another incident on November 16 saw a cluster of people gathered outside the nightclub, which Sergeant Robertson identified as an “emergency egress risk”. Despite police requests for the situation to be managed, door staff initially displayed “minimal control” before eventually establishing what resembled a queue.
Police also raised concerns about the number of patrons inside the club on two separate dates. On December 3, staff appeared to be unaware of the venue’s official capacity. A more serious incident unfolded on January 18, when door staff informed police they had been “pressurised” by the bar supervisor to allow more people into the venue than legally permitted.
Garibaldi’s has an official capacity of 135 people, a figure which was reduced from 180 in March 2025. However, during the January incident, door staff estimated that as many as 300 people were inside the nightclub. Prior to police intervention, the bar supervisor was observed ushering approximately 20 individuals out of the premises.
Upon entering the club, Sergeant Robertson reported that officers found the venue to be “overcrowded” and “completely impassable”. The City of Edinburgh Council’s licensing board can impose various conditions or sanctions on licensed premises following such reports. More information on licensing can be found on the City of Edinburgh Council website.
Source: Edinburgh Live
