Report: Josh Wyatt No Longer Avant Gardner CEO

Avant Gardner CEO Josh Wyatt is no longer with the company, sources confirm. Avant Gardner owns the Brooklyn Mirage, a venue located in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. Wyatt was initially named CEO last fall and was the first CEO to be named at the company.

A company memo shared with Pollstar read, “Effective immediately, Josh Wyatt is no longer with Avant Gardner. We appreciate Josh for his contributions and wish him the best in his future endeavors. In the interim, Gary Richards, our non-executive Chairman of the Board, will be managing day-to-day operations for Avant Gardner. He will be supported by the key members of our leadership team.”

Brooklyn Mirage has faced a continued delay in opening, with its festivities initially scheduled to feature two nights of Sara Landry on May 1 and 2. The venue continues to face challenges with the Department of Buildings in New York City, and was forced to cancel its run of shows throughout Memorial Day Weekend. Still, dates featuring Rezz on May 30, Artbat Presents on May 31 and Everyday People on June 1 remain on the calendar.

Read More: Brooklyn Mirage Cancels Summer Season’s First Show Due To Inspection Delay

Avant Gardner, the promotion company that owns Brooklyn Mirage (an outdoor venue with a 6,250-cap in the larger Avant Gardner complex, which contains the Great Hall [3,000-cap] and Kings Hall [220-cap]) unveiled its new renovation plans in March, promising a fully kinetic shutter system to open and close a 270-degree LED screen with 30k resolution and 100 million pixels. More than 100 speakers and subwoofers are also expected to be placed throughout the venue. The main dancefloor is expected to be double the size of the former venue’s floor, with second and third-level dancefloors also built in the mezzanine. 

Richards is a music executive known by his stage name, Destructo. As a concert promoter, he was the founder and CEO of HARD Events, which was subsequently purchased by Live Nation in 2012. Richards went on to join LiveStyle in 2017. He oversees the dance music cruise ship, The Friendship, which sets sail annually each winter.