Hopes of the Brooklyn Mirage reopening in 2025 are continuing to dwindle after an anonymous Avant Gardner employee told BKMAG that the venue “definitely isn’t opening this year, and it’s looking very likely it won’t open next year either.”
The famed East Williamsburg electronic music venue recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and has remained shuttered since undergoing a $30 million redesign earlier this year. Safety inspection failures and unresolved permit issues have kept the venue closed through what was supposed to be its marquee summer season.
“The decision to file for Chapter 11 relief follows several months of financial distress, culminating with Avant Gardner being unable to open its newly constructed Mirage event space for the 2025 season,” reads a statement shared on the venue’s Instagram.
Since the ousting of former CEO Josh Wyatt in May, the company has largely maintained public silence, instead primarily relying on artists and ticketing platforms to communicate a rolling series of cancellations. Those include performances by high-profile acts like Alesso, Subtronics, The Chainsmokers and EDM.com Class of 2024 star Sara Landry.
Now, after months of speculation and a steady drip of canceled shows, the reopening appears even farther away than anyone expected. A recent filing for a Temporary Place of Assembly Certificate requests activation beginning June 1, 2026, suggesting the venue won’t relaunch operations for roughly another year.
“The whole thing is a disaster,” the unnamed employee added.
Christian Wade/EDM.com
For fans who once considered Brooklyn Mirage the cynosure of New York’s EDM scene, its precarious status raises concerns about whether the venue can ever regain its footing. The event calendar on Avant Gardner’s website is now defunct, effectively cancelling all future scheduled shows.
In the meantime, Avant Gardner has installed Gary Richards as its new CEO “to stabilize the company’s finances and bring the Mirage back for 2026 and beyond.”
“The Avant Gardner event complex is a truly special music venue that has provided cutting edge experiences over the years for artists and fans from all around the globe,” said Richards, the founder of the beloved HARD Events brand, who also tours as the renowned DJ and producer Destructo. “Everyone I speak to has had the best sets and very special memories at the Brooklyn Mirage.”
“Two months ago I was brought in as CEO to rebuild the Company’s culture and turn the business around. I believe this Chapter 11 restructuring is the most viable path forward – it will allow us to stabilize Avant Gardner and focus on building for the future.”
You can read the Brooklyn Mirage’s full statement below.
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