Concertgoers demand more safety at Brooklyn Mirage following deaths

By Brooklyn Magazine Staff

In the aftermath of two recent nearby deaths, an alleged kidnapping and ongoing alleged illegal drug activity, some Brooklyn Mirage concertgoers have launched a letter-writing campaign asking city officials to force the East Williamsburg venue to improve its safety protocols.

The letter, first obtained by Gothamist, says that there are “serious concerns regarding the safety of concert attendees” and criticizes the “extreme negligence by the venue and their security team regarding the safety of patrons exiting the venue.”

The lack of street lighting is also a concern, where the organizers said they think attendees are “being targeted and at risk for getting lost, or worse, being manipulated into danger.”

Of the many areas of concerns highlighted by the letter, one is that there’s “no security surrounding the exits of the venue” and that the surrounding streets are “infiltrated with unpermitted drivers posing as rideshares.”

Another alarming accusation is that there are “tons of aggressive club and venue promoters surrounding the area, preying on concert patrons who are under the influence to lure them to follow them to unidentified venues and spaces,” the letter says.

“The negligence of the Brooklyn Mirage is alarming to me, as there are extreme safety measures that they take when entering the venue, but none at all once you step two feet outside the venue in the exit areas,” the letter says.

The letter writers recommend a series of needed improvements: surveillance cameras near the venue’s streets, improved lighting, guards to stand near the Mirage’s exits and the removal of illegal rideshare solicitors.

The letter is addressed to City Councilmember Jennifer Gutiérrez, who represents the East Williamsburg neighborhood. She told Gothamist that she doesn’t “have the exact remedy, but I think what community folks are asking for is going to require probably more investment from their part.”

We are deeply saddened by the recent tragic events that resulted in the loss of two lives in East Williamsburg.

Full statement from myself, @NydiaVelazquez, @DavilaAssembly, @EmilyAssembly, & @SalazarSenate. pic.twitter.com/BrwRhJyXXV

— CM Jen Gutiérrez (@CMJenGutierrez) August 2, 2023

Avant Gardner, which owns the Mirage, didn’t immediately respond to Brooklyn Magazine’s request for comment. But the ownership group is familiar with trouble.

Earlier this summer, the State Liquor Authority was examining whether to renew its license because the Mirage is a hotbed of alleged illegal drug activity.

Between 2018 and 2022, according to SLA data in another recent Gothamist report, over 1,600 people required medical attention at Avant Gardner. At least 88 of them wound up needing hospital care. Since its opening in 2017, three people have died after spending time at the 6,000 capacity venue: a 41-year-old man, a 21-year-old woman and a 23-year-old woman.

Another legal issue for the Mirage is reports of sexual misconduct from the security guards at a gay pride event in June that resulted in a $7.5 million lawsuit against the venue.