Less than six months after Brooklyn Mirage’s operator sought to have it demolished following months of canceled shows, a CEO switch up, and a bankruptcy filing, the beleaguered club is coming back. The New York venue confirmed today it will reopen on June 20 as Pacha New York, an extension of the longstanding Ibiza-born nightlife brand.
For its opening weekend, Pacha New York has booked British DJ Michael Bibi, who will play on June 20, and veteran South African producer Black Coffee, who will play on June 21. Notably, Black Coffee was set to become the Mirage’s first-ever resident last year before his shows were cancelled. When the Mirage’s parent company Avant Gardner declared bankruptcy last year, the filing indicated that the venue owed Black Coffee’s company Black Coffee Entertainment over $1.8 million.
The deal between Pacha and the Mirage went through back in February, when Pacha’s Dubai-based parent company FIVE Holdings announced it would assume ownership of the Mirage and Avant Gardner from the venue complex’s lender, Axar Capital Management. Per Billboard, Pacha sent out an email blast on April 7 to some 30,000 un-refunded Mirage ticket holders offering them vouchers for the new venue’s upcoming season. Altogether, the vouchers are reportedly worth over $3 million. Pitchfork has reached out to representatives for Pacha New York for comment.
“Before we look ahead, we want to speak directly to you, the community that has always been at the heartbeat of New York’s dance culture” the email read. “We know the last chapter left many of you frustrated. Especially those who held tickets for shows at the Brooklyn Mirage that never happened and were never refunded. While Pacha New York was not involved in these circumstances, we’ve made a conscious decision on making this right for you.”
Despite the announcement, some uncertainty remains around how Pacha New York will reopen for guests in less than three months. On March 31, Brooklyn Magazine reported that the 140 Stewart Avenue building that once housed the Mirage had been “razed to the ground,” leaving nothing but a parking lot “scattered with dumpsters, plywood, plastic barriers” and the “VIP pods” the venue had designed before closing. Letters posted outside the site said that the demolition process will be completed by May.
