The bass is turned up and the lights are back on at 140 Stewart Avenue in Williamsburg.

Avant Gardner, formerly home to the iconic Brooklyn Mirage, has been taken over by global nightlife brand Pacha Group. And if there’s one thing Pacha has proven, it’s that New York’s house music scene isn’t merely revived — it just might be louder than ever before.

Last year, the sprawling 80,000-square-foot venue came crumbling to the ground after an ambitious $30 million renovation plan was halted over safety concerns. City officials cited “potentially unsteady, combustible, illegal” conditions for a 6,000-person capacity space, which led to Avant Gardner’s forced cancellation of their entire slate of summer shows before filing for bankruptcy.

To say fans were upset would be an understatement. In a city saturated with small clubs, intimate Hip-Hop rooms, and subterranean rave spots, large-scale electronic music venues have become few and far between and many feared Mirage’s closure marked the end of an era for true house music heads.

A few long months later, Pacha swept in at the eleventh hour. The company behind the Dubai-based brand, Five Holdings, purchased the East Williamsburg venue for a reported $110 million in January. And in less than half a year, delivered what many thought was impossible: a new era of nightlife for NYC.

Pacha has already unveiled an impressive summer program, with high-profile sets from fan favorites like ZHU, Lost Frequencies, BLOND:ISH, and ANOTR. Opening weekend was led by British electronic figure Michael Bibi alongside South African house luminary and Pacha regular, Black Coffee.

The brand, known for its stripped-back approach to nightlife, keeps the focus squarely on the music. From its iconic twin cherries logo to no-frills, dance floor-first design — low lighting, minimal staging, no chintzy decor — Pacha Group favors reducing spectacle to amplify sound, and properly frame the DJ.

As my more knowledgeable house music friends have put it, a Pacha show is “something you just have to experience once in your life.” And, with its arrival in New York, there was little excuse to miss opening weekend.

I stepped inside for Black Coffee’s set on Sunday night to see what it’s all about.

As one industry source noted, Pacha may have been waiting for the precise moment to land in NYC — and from the looks of it, they stuck the landing.

Upon arrival, Black Coffee’s opener Shimza was already in motion, weaving Rüfüs Du Sol’s “Innerbloom” through a crowd swaying in near-unison, fully absorbed in the electronic symphony. A newly modernized LED installation and sweeping sight-lines reinforced the venue’s immense scale, while expanded VIP areas and flowing bottles underscored the feeling of elevated service.

Two friendly Pacha reps guided me through the space, tequila sodas in hand. First, we strolled through the main floor where melting visuals and pulses of kinetic light overhead. The GA space felt surprisingly breathable even for a sold-out show, a welcome break from the usual shoulder-to-shoulder crush you dare to shove through.

Look up and you’ll see the space opens up to multiple rooftop areas including an elevated platform that puts guests eye-to-eye with the staggering visual installation (arguably the best view in the house, though you’ll need a VIP ticket if you want to get down from that vantage point).

On either side of the stage, bars and a curated food program serve everything from late-night munchies to fancy hand-rolls from Shiro Sushi, which somehow makes the whole experience feel less like a sweaty rave and more like a sexy yet upscale, well-curated hospitality experience.

Our tour wraps as we’re led through a striking — and slightly hedonistic — red backstage corridor that leads us directly to the DJ booth, encircled on all sides by VIP tables. The bass hits hardest here; vibrations traveling from floor to bone.

Staff smiled more than usual, security was efficient without ever becoming overbearing, and the crowd size remained manageable throughout the night. Kabir Mulchandani, CEO of Five Holdings, previously explained the decision to lower capacity to reduce risk, emphasizing “safety is the first priority,” and there was no point at which I doubted his claim. 

But what stood out most wasn’t the renovations, polished production or elevated sound quality but the absence of the performative energy that had snuck into past iterations of the famed Avant Gardener venue.

The crowd at Pacha wasn’t just your usual mix of club feens, influencers and clout-chasers. The newest iteration of the space felt as if it were built more for die-hard house music fans, the lifers. Even with Travis Scott and Pete Davidson orbiting nearby, that low-key celeb presence feels more incidental in a space that’s somehow pulled off the neat trick of being cool without trying.

Paired with a seasoned selector like Black Coffee, the effect becomes hypnotic. His Afro-house blends — think “Rapture” with &ME, the soulful “Sete” x “Gorah” mash-up, and Latin-infused “NUEVAYoL” remix — spin with surgical precision, which becomes even more impressive when I’m reminded that he often performs with just one hand, due to an old injury in his left arm.

Black Coffee is a master of restraint, mood-setting and stage presence. His sets are tribal and minimal, slow-burning yet propulsive, built in waves that roll over you rather than crash down on you. One TikTokker espoused that if house music is a religion, he is the prophet. And in this case, Pacha is easily the temple.

He’s arguably the ideal artist to open Pacha, and the irony is not lost when I’m told that Avant Gardner still owes him $1.87 million from last summer’s canceled shows. Fans were clearly glad to have the Umlazi native back. The backstage area was packed with people vying for a closer view, everyone wanting a piece. Fortunately, the two-entry setup kept the crowd decently spaced out so the space never became too claustrophobic. 

A great show at the right venue can feel like it breaks the time-and-space continuum and somehow Pacha miraculously made that happen on their opening weekend. You step through the door, and the next thing you know, you’re checking your phone at 3 a.m., wondering where the time went, with Black Coffee nodding along to a beat just one barricade away. 

Final verdict: The new Pacha Group feels less about being seen and more about the music. Less Instagram crowd, more underground dance party. A space for serious music lovers. Yes, there’s a faint trace of nostalgia, but no bitterness — just a breath of fresh air: a reunion and reinvention all at once.

Which artists are coming to Pacha?

A complete calendar including all artists coming to Pacha, show dates and links to buy tickets can be found below.

Where can I see Black Coffee this year?

All upcoming Black Coffee tour dates, venues and links to buy tickets are listed here:

Huge EDM artists on tour in 2026

We’re not done yet.

If you’re hoping to see the best in bliss, here are just five of our favorite iconic acts you won’t want to miss spin live these next few months.

• John Summit

• Rüfüs Du Sol

• Lost Frequencies

• Subtronics

• Elderbrook

Who else is out there? Take a look at our list of all the biggest artists on tour in 2026 to find the show for you.

This article was written by Miska Salemann, New York Post Commerce Writer/Reporter. As a health-forward member of Gen Z, Miska seeks out experts to weigh in on the benefits, safety and designs of both trending and tried-and-true fitness equipment, workout clothing, dietary supplements and more. Taking matters into her own hands, Miska intrepidly tests wellness products, ranging from Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint Longevity Mix to the viral Oura Ring to Jennifer Aniston’s favorite workout platform – often with her adorable toddler by her side. Before joining The Post, Miska covered lifestyle and consumer topics for the U.S. Sun and The Cannon Beach Gazette.