Brooklyn's 500-capacity Refuge NYC drew 100,000 guests from 73 countries in first year

Refuge NYC, a 500-capacity Brooklyn nightclub opened in September 2025 by John Dimatteo and Craig "Shorty" Bernabeu, hosted over 210 events and welcomed more than 100,000 guests in its first year. Eventbrite data cited by the founders showed guests travelled from roughly 1,300 cities across 73 countries and six continents, per figures provided to Billboard on August 12.