Brooklyn Mirage Set for Demolition Following Avant Gardner Bankruptcy 

Brooklyn Mirage — the 32,000-square-foot open-air nightclub that has helped define Brooklyn’s nightlife since 2017 — is set to be torn down, according to new filings with New York City’s Department of Buildings.

Public records show that Avant Gardner LLC, the company behind the venue complex, submitted a permit application on Tuesday (Oct. 14) seeking approval to demolish the Mirage. The two other venues at the Avant Gardner complex, Kings Hall and the Great Hall, are set to remain open through December.

The filing lists a $1.5 million budget for the demolition project and names H&O Engineering as the contractor. It remains unclear when demolition will begin, but filings indicate the project will be a straightforward teardown.

Opened in 2017, the Mirage quickly became one of the most coveted venues for touring DJs and electronic acts, earning recognition from DJ Mag and being named “Best Venue” by EDM.com in 2024 for its innovative design and large-scale production.

Behind the scenes, however, Avant Gardner faced mounting challenges. The company became embroiled in multiple lawsuits alleging overly aggressive security practices and clashed with the New York State Liquor Authority. The situation worsened in 2023 when Avant Gardner’s production of the Electric Zoo festival collapsed amid permitting issues and overcrowding, forcing the cancellation of one of the festival’s three days.

The fallout from Electric Zoo, including multiple lawsuits filed by fans, triggered an ownership reshuffle. Axar Capital, one of Avant Gardner’s senior creditors, took a leading role in the company, while hospitality veteran Josh Wyatt was brought in as CEO. Wyatt closed Avant Gardner last November to begin an ambitious renovation of the 80,000-square-foot complex, including an expanded dance floor designed to be the largest in New York City.

At its peak, the Brooklyn Mirage stood 65 feet high and featured a 30K-resolution wraparound LED wall, 100 L-Acoustics loudspeakers and a kinetic shutter system. The remodeled venue was slated to reopen May 1, 2025, with a two-night run by techno artist Sara Landry.

But the reopening never happened, as the project became mired in permitting issues with the city’s Department of Buildings. As an open-air venue that typically operates only in warmer months, Brooklyn Mirage functioned under a Temporary Place of Assembly Certificate of Occupancy that had to be renewed annually. Wyatt’s 2025 redesign included a prefabricated wooden structure standing 65 feet high and nearly 200 feet long — a scale that ultimately complicated the city’s permitting process.

When the Department of Buildings declined to issue the necessary permits, the venue posted a message to Instagram asking fans for patience.

“We want to be clear: the venue is show-ready and the New Mirage has been built to exacting safety, structural, mechanical, and technical specifications,” the since-deleted post read. “However, we were not able to meet the final inspection deadline today.”

On May 22, Wyatt stepped down as CEO and was replaced by veteran music executive and touring artist Gary Richards. Three months later, in August, Avant Gardner filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Bankruptcy records show that the company owes about $194 million to creditors, with about $900,000 in cash in the bank.