Legendary New York club Paragon closing down and selling soundsystem: “We simply cannot afford the financial reality of this industry”
The Paragon nightclub in Brooklyn, New York is to close down as it “cannot afford the financial reality of this industry” in 2025.
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The operators of the Bushwick venue made the announcement on social media on Wednesday (January 22), with the multi-tiered space expected to shut its doors for the final time in April.
“It is with deep sadness that today we must deliver the message of Paragon’s conclusion,” they wrote on Instagram. “After almost 3 years of running a venue with some of the world’s best people we simply cannot afford the financial reality of this industry in 2025 and will be closing our doors this April.”
“We want to thank all of our supporters for the memories and the friendships. We want to thank all of the artists that graced us with their magic. Most of all we want to thank our coworkers who often went far beyond their job descriptions to make dreams come true.”
Paragon, which opened in 2022 also said that their business is now up for sale, as is the 5000 square-foot premises’ sound system.
“If anyone is interested in purchasing (or investing) feel free to reach out. Please consider swinging by to pay your respects. We will miss you all,” they concluded.
Before closing its doors, Paragon is set to host events by artists including Special Request, SoFTT, Aurora Halal and UNiiQU3. See the full list of remaining live events here.
It is just the latest venue to succumb to the immense financial pressures facing the live music and nightlife industry around the world. In the UK, a report from the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) found that UK clubbing could be “extinct” by the end of the decade.
The figures revealed that 37 per cent of all clubs across the country have permanently shut since March 2020 – an average of three clubs a week and 150 per year. If the trend continues, all spaces in the UK will have closed their doors by December 31, 2029.
Last summer, the NTIA also shared that, of the 480 nightclubs that were closed between June 2020 to June 2024, 67 took place between December 2023 and June 2024.
Before then, the association revealed that 31 per cent of nightclubs in the UK were forced to close last year, and in August 2023, the association shared that over 100 independent nightclubs across the UK were forced to shut their doors permanently within just 12 months.
The post Legendary New York club Paragon closing down and selling soundsystem: “We simply cannot afford the financial reality of this industry” appeared first on NME.
Max Pilley
NME
