Brooklyn Mirage Faces Uncertainty as Concertgoers Await Venue Reopening

Jun 23 2025

Frustration mounts among ticket holders as the Brooklyn Mirage remains closed, leaving many without clear answers regarding its reopening. The East Williamsburg venue, known for its open-air concerts, has yet to receive city approval to resume operations following extensive renovations that were supposed to conclude by May 1.

In a surprising turn, the venue announced the cancellation of its summer reopening plans after failing to secure necessary permits, which included the abrupt cancellation of a sold-out show just moments before a DJ was set to perform.

The last communication from the venue indicated that all shows scheduled through Memorial Day weekend would be canceled and rescheduled for July and August, as detailed in an Instagram post. “We apologize to our incredible community of fans, artists, crew members, and staff for the delay,” the venue stated on May 20. “Though the Brooklyn Mirage is opening later than anticipated, we are making great progress towards opening our doors… We are working diligently with the City of New York to meet all regulations and requirements.”

Ticket holders are still left in limbo, with some losing money on travel arrangements for shows that were rescheduled at the last minute. Comments on social media reflect growing impatience, with one user asking, “Did y’all die?”

Temple Barros, a Bronx resident and frequent attendee since 2016, expressed disappointment over the venue's handling of the situation. “I’m not here to bash it because I’ve been going to Brooklyn Mirage since 2016. I’ve been going every other week… This year has probably been the biggest disappointment,” he said. Barros recounted how a friend flew in from Florida for a show that ultimately did not happen, resulting in lost expenses for tickets and travel.

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Another concertgoer, Christina P. from Long Island, faced similar frustrations when her cousin traveled from Georgia for a concert on June 13. After seeing the Memorial Day announcement, she called the venue for clarity but received no definitive answers. “They told me they didn’t have any information… to call back next week,” she recalled. Just days before the event, the artist announced a rescheduling for September 12 at Summerstage in Central Park.

“My cousin was not able to cancel her flight,” Christina added. “We just want transparency. The venue could’ve been more open about what they were doing. They knew they had problems with permits.”

Despite having shows lined up for June, the Brooklyn Mirage continues to face permit challenges. According to the Department of Buildings, the venue is “currently not permitted to operate as they submitted job filing applications that remain under audit.” A Temporary Place of Assembly certificate is still under review, which is essential for hosting large gatherings.

The operator of the venue, Avant Gardner, has not responded to requests for comment. Reports indicate that CEO Josh Wyatt was dismissed amid the reopening issues, despite his previous assurances that everything would be ready for the May 1 launch.

Barros emphasized the emotional impact of the situation: “At the end of the day, you can’t do that [cancel] to people that are coming from all miles out of the way. This [the Brooklyn Mirage] is our safe space… What hurts the most is that the safe space that we thought we had is not here this year.”

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