Bushwick club Bossa Nova is asking for help after fire forces closure

Bossa Nova Civic Club, a Bushwick nightclub , is asking for financial help from the community after a fire forced its sudden closure

By Brooklyn Magazine Staff

Bossa Nova Civic Club, a Bushwick nightclub known for its dance and electronic music, is asking for financial help from the community after a fire in its building forced the space to close indefinitely.

On Wednesday night, the building that houses the club “sustained significant damage” after a fire tore through a third-floor apartment above Bossa Nova. The tenant was seriously injured and their dog died. Bossa Nova itself wasn’t damaged by the fire, but it experienced extensive water damage, according to a friend of the club.

Bossa Nova posted on its Instagram story, that it’s “safe to say we will be closed for a notable amount of time.” A GoFundMe has launched to help support the nearly decade old business. It’s asking for $300,000 “support the staff, bar and tenants.” So far, they’ve raised around $65,000 and have received mentions on popular music outlets like Brooklyn Vegan.

“Bossa was a second home to many of us. So many great times, good people and amazing memories,” one person wrote on the GoFundMe page. Another added “Bossa helps small independent music scenes and communities thrive.”

Bossa Nova was featured in a New Yorker piece last summer, describing it as a “rare venue where social mixing happens—queer and straight, younger and older” and it’s called “techno Cheers” by some regulars.

Brooklynites have proven to show their generosity amid the pandemic and other crises that have affected community gathering places. Playground Coffee quickly met—and exceeded—its fundraising goal this week to help keep the space open.