The Music Hall of Williamsburg Is Losing Its Lease

"North 6th is really and truly cooked. Variety reports the Music Hall of Williamsburg will be closing at the end of 2026 after its landlords declined to renew its lease. The venue at 66 North 6th Street was one of the last vestiges of the early aughts wave of development of the block, which is now home to Hermés and Diptyque. Co-partners at Bowery Presents, the venue's promoter, announced the news in a note to staff: "Let's make our final year on North 6th Street one to remember.""

"The Music Hall of Williamsburg first opened in 2007, taking over what was then Northsix, a pioneering music venue that had opened in 2001. (The place was decidedly lo-fi and had the feeling of "a school auditorium," per The Village Voice. The owner, Jeff Steinhauser, apparently hammered the stage together himself.) The move was part of an expansion into Brooklyn by Bowery Presents, which also owns the Bowery Ballroom and Mercury Lounge. After buying the venue, the company spent five months renovating it into a 550-seat space with a more polished feel."

"But the venue did continue to provide a place to play for up-and-coming bands, kids from the nearby outpost of the School of Rock, and New York City royalty for close to two decades. (Patti Smith was its first-ever act.) It was the old-new Williamsburg. Now it's sandwiched between a Patagonia and a Brooklinen."

The Music Hall of Williamsburg will close at the end of 2026 after landlords declined to renew the lease for 66 North 6th Street. The venue opened in 2007 when Bowery Presents converted the earlier Northsix into a renovated 550-seat space, part of Bowery Presents' Brooklyn expansion. The hall hosted emerging bands, local School of Rock students, and major acts like Patti Smith, remaining active for nearly two decades. The surrounding block transformed into high-end retail and condos, and the building is owned by Asana Partners, which purchased 66 and 70 North 6th Street in 2019 for almost $30 million. The future use of the space remains unclear.

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