Pacha New York has set its opening lineup as it prepares to revive the venue formerly known as the Brooklyn Mirage this summer.
The East Williamsburg club will open with performances by DJ Michael Bibi on June 20 and Black Coffee on June 21. Despite the venue’s rocky recent history, both sets were nearly completely sold out days after tickets went on sale.
New Yorkers can take an earlier peek behind the curtain at Pacha’s “pre-opening weekend,” with an all-night dance party and “block party-inspired” celebration on June 13 and 14, respectively.
The international nightlife giant, its parent company FIVE Holdings and private equity lender Axar Capital Management struck a deal to take over the Mirage and its sister venue The Great Hall in February, after Avant Gardner filed for bankruptcy.
Pacha New York is expected to operate until October, following in the footsteps of the seasonal Mirage, and has promised “immersive experiences” and “cutting-edge programming.” Just one event has been announced beyond opening weekend, “Planet Pride” on June 27.
Though it remains to be seen just what form the venue will take — the old Mirage was demolished earlier this year and the lot was completely empty as of March 31, according to Brooklyn Magazine — Pacha New York will include several pricey VIP areas, the website shows. As of April 14, remaining general admission tickets for Black Coffee started at $177.
Tickets for the behind-the-booth “backstage dancing VIP” zone were priced at $800. Admission to other VIP areas, including table service zones on either side of the stage, started at $1,400 per person, with a more than $11,000 minimum spend per table.
Pacha also appears to be trying to make amends with fans and artists who fell victim to the Mirage’s implosion.
Black Coffee was among dozens of artists whose Mirage shows were canceled without warning last summer, but he had been set to have the venue’s first-ever residency, with four shows in four months starting last May. The Mirage owed the artist roughly $1.8 million, per bankruptcy court documents.
Pacha will also offer “goodwill coupons” to people still holding unrefunded tickets for canceled Mirage shows.
“We know the last chapter left many of you frustrated. Especially those who held tickets for shows at the Brooklyn Mirage that never happened and were never refunded,” an email sent to ticketholders reads. “While Pacha New York was not involved in those circumstances, we’ve made a conscious decision on making this right for you.”
Those coupons will be worth the full amount of the lost tickets, the company said, and can be used on food, drinks or merchandise at the venue — but not for tickets. The coupon-holders must buy a full-price ticket for a Pacha New York show, according to emails distributed by the company, then use a QR code to make purchases with the coupon.
