Garibaldi’s, a popular student club on Hanover Street, has been issued a warning following police concerns about frequent overcrowding and underage crowds.
Following a recent meeting of the City of Edinburgh Council’s licensing board, Police Scotland expressed concerns that overcrowding in the club was posing a significant risk to public safety.
Police Sergeant Grant Robertson also shared an incident with councillors regarding finding a 16-year-old with a fake ID and a Gari’s entry stamp.
Councillors agreed to give the venue a written warning.
This warning comes after the club was forced to close for a month in March last year for violating licensing laws.
Violations involved incidents with underage patrons and staff being unaware of the venue’s capacity, which was often exceeded.
The club then reopened; however, it operated under shorter opening hours for the first four months, closing at 1am rather than its usual 3am.
In July 2025, ownership of the venue changed, and capacity has since been permanently limited to 135, down from 180.
The new ownership has since said that the venue’s door staff have been replaced entirely.
When The Student brought this issue to the University of Edinburgh students, they said they didn’t feel the crowd was any younger than other clubs in Edinburgh.
Regarding overcrowding, they felt it was the same as at other venues, if not quieter.
Another student shared: “It depends on the day of the week; Fridays and Saturdays often feel like a younger crowd.”
Despite this, students shared they felt door staff were very thorough when checking IDs, with one student adding, “The bouncer once asked to check my bank account and Apple ID.”
The written warning comes with a suggestion from the venue’s solicitor that a licence holder should be present at all times. This addresses concerns regarding staff lacking knowledge of the licensing laws.
Image by Ulia Makoveeva for The Student.