Brooklyn Mirage implements new safety protocols following 2023 deaths
The venue has also undergone a redesign ahead of its reopening in May
New York nightclub The Brooklyn Mirage has added new safety protocols after two people were found dead and another was allegedly kidnapped when leaving the venue in 2023.
The Bushwick club closed for the winter season in November 2024, and is due to reopen on May 1, 2025, with heightened safety measures both “inside and outside the venue”.
On June 11, 2023, 27-year-old Karl Clemente disappeared after leaving Brooklyn Mirage, and was found dead in Newtown Creek just days later. In a separate incident on July 29, 2023, 27-year-old John Castic was last seen leaving Brooklyn Mirage before he was found dead in the same creek on August 1.
Another man, 32-year-old Michael Bautista, was allegedly kidnapped outside the venue on July 22, 2023. All three incidents were speculated to be connected on social media, though police did not confirm this, ruling both deaths as drowning (per New York Times).
Brooklyn Mirage is set to reopen on May 1, promising to ensure “a seamless experience from arrival to departure”. The club will implement new lighting, signage, and rideshare drop-off zones outside the venue.
The venue is also set to upgrade mobile services in and around the area to “improve guest navigation and connectivity”, meaning it’s easier to connect with friends on site.
Elsewhere, Brooklyn Mirage has promised an “enhanced” team of trained ambassadors and security, with added “security patrols and increased first responder-trained staff”.
The venue has also undergone a redesign ahead of reopening in a “completely reimagined” new look, including a new 270-degree visual display – the “world’s first fully kinetic shutter system of this scale”.
See a list of added safety measures and improvements to the club below.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter