Dubai-based FIVE Holdings will revive the former Brooklyn Mirage as Pacha New York on June 20, less than six months after the site's operator filed for bankruptcy and began demolition. The opening weekend features British DJ Michael Bibi on Friday and South African artist Black Coffee on Saturday. Pacha is offering over $3 million in vouchers to around 30,000 holders of unrefunded tickets from canceled shows.
The 140 Stewart Avenue site, part of the Avant Gardner complex in Brooklyn, faced turmoil last year including a failed opening in May due to permitting issues, months of canceled shows, a CEO change, and bankruptcy by parent company Avant Gardner. Bankruptcy documents revealed the venue owed Black Coffee Entertainment more than $1.8 million; the DJ had been slated as the Mirage's first-ever resident before shows were scrapped. As of late March, the site was a debris-strewn parking lot with demolition expected to wrap by May, per Brooklyn Magazine. FIVE Holdings, parent of the iconic Ibiza nightlife brand Pacha, acquired Avant Gardner and the venue from lender Axar Capital Management in February, assuming full operational control of Brooklyn Mirage and The Great Hall to launch Pacha's only U.S. outpost. On April 7, Pacha emailed approximately 30,000 ticketholders who had not received refunds for canceled Mirage shows and season passes, offering vouchers worth $3,107,654—the full original ticket value—for food, drinks, and merchandise at Pacha events, according to Billboard and a source close to the club. The email read: “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. We know the last chapter left many of you frustrated... While Pacha New York was not involved in these circumstances, we’ve made a conscious decision on making this right for you.” Pacha confirmed the June 20 reopening with Michael Bibi that night—his only current U.S. date outside Chicago's ARC Music Festival in September—and Black Coffee on June 21, his sole U.S. summer booking. Questions remain about how the razed site can be rebuilt and ready in under three months.
