Last night’s grand reopening concert should have marked the start of a new chapter for local music venue Brooklyn Mirage.
Instead, a last-minute notice thwarted patrons’ plans for a fun night out. Just a few hours before DJ Sara Landry was supposed to take the stage, the venue announced the show’s cancellation on Instagram.
“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,” they wrote. “However, we were not able to meet the final inspection deadline today. Abiding by all appropriate city, local and building authorities is paramount to our core value.”
The venue said they would issue refunds for ticket holders.
Over the past couple of years, distrust towards Brooklyn Mirage and its parent company Avant Gardner has grown. Two men were found dead in the nearby Newtown Creek after spending part of their evening in and around the premises in 2023. Several patrons took the venue to task for what they felt was a lack of safety infrastructure, including poor lighting, weak WiFi, and an isolated location that attracted drivers pretending to work for rideshare apps.
In response, Avant Gardner recently hired a new CEO, and a $10 million renovation project pointed in the direction of an improved space (changes that the company heavily promoted in advance of the expected reopening, drawing “I told you so,” criticism from social media skeptics).
Brooklyn Paper reports that “[c]ity records show that three construction permits issued by the Department of Buildings had been placed ‘On Hold’ pending administrative action on April 30 and May 1.”
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