Avant Gardner Acquires Made Event and Electric Zoo

Made Event and its renowned festival Electric Zoo have been acquired by the investment group behind Avant Gardner.

While some venues have shuttered their doors and festivals have ended their runs, new partnerships and acquisitions have breathed into the dance music scene after the struggles that were faced during the pandemic. Billboard broke the latest news in this space earlier this week with the investment group behind Avant Gardner acquiring Made Event and its annual festival on Randall’s Island, Electric Zoo, from LiveStyle for $15 million.

Founded by Mike Bindra and Laura De Palma, Made Event built Electric Zoo into a behemoth festival over the years with its most recent edition featuring a top-tier lineup and plenty more in store later this summer. This growth was due in part to the acquisition by SFX in 2014, which was later rebranded to LiveStyle after SFX filed for bankruptcy in 2016. Since then, different properties under LiveStyle have been sold off to new buyers or former owners, with Made Event and Electric Zoo being the final two that remained according to Billboard.

This year’s edition of Electric Zoo will be operated by Avant Gardner when it takes place on September 2-4. Avant Gardner has been at the forefront of revolutionizing the nightlife scene in New York since it first opened back in 2017. Centered in Brooklyn’s East Williamsburg neighborhood, this expansive space hosts artists at the Brooklyn Mirage and Kings Hall, as well as two other halls on its grounds.

More recently Avant Gardner completely revamped the production at Brooklyn Mirage with a new design – and the venue is hosting a stunning lineup all summer long as well. Stay tuned for more details on this acquisition and the impact that it will have on the scene in the Northeast.