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The next time someone tells you to meet them by the Domino smokestack, they might be giving you directions to a gig.
A new independent music venue called Domino will open inside Williamsburg’s former sugar refinery in April 2027, bringing concerts and club nights to the waterfront. The venue will occupy the ground floor of the landmarked building at 20 River Street, right next to Domino Park. It will seat 750 people, with the entrance at the foot of the refinery’s 240-foot chimney. The space will have a ramp at the entrance, elevators and bars on the main floor and mezzanine.
Behind the project is Ben Lovett, a founding member of Mumford & Sons who has spent much of his career on stage. His company, tvg Hospitality, has developed venues including Omeara and Lafayette in London and The Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, Alabama. It’s opening Domino with Emerson Hospitality.
“Williamsburg was my introduction to New York City, as it was for so many artists and musicians twenty years ago,” Lovett said in the announcement.
Live music will anchor the calendar, with comedy, film screenings, live podcast tapings, fashion shows and art events also in the works. The room will be available for rehearsals and recording sessions, too, and local groups can request it for everything from benefit shows to town halls. A cultural board will meet quarterly to review the programming and recommend emerging artists.
As for what 750 people coming and going means for the block, Domino says it will check sound levels outside during shows and amplified music will wrap by 2 am. The venue will generally be all ages, with some events restricted to guests 21 and over.
While there's no opening lineup just yet, tickets will go on sale as shows are announced. So, for now, the biggest name on the bill is still the one on the building.