Xanadu — music venue

Xanadu

Xanadu in Brooklyn has 64 upcoming shows. Next: Sunday Afterglow (skate) on Sun, Oct 4. Full calendar, lineups and tickets on Ckord.

Our intention is to give you days filled with flow and nights that change your life. We believe that humans were made to dance, play and love. This is a place to experience art and enjoy existing in our bodies. We invite you to find flow and feel more alive than ever before. THE HISTORY:Roller skating has been an international sensation since John Joseph Merlin invented the first inline skate in the mid 18th century. Nearly a century later, in 1863, James Plimpton developed the four-wheeled roller skate and established the New York Roller Skating Association, which brilliantly marketed the sport as an opportunity for young Victorian men and women to meet in a fun, appropriately supervised but casual setting. Fast-forward to 1935 when roller derby was invented in Chicago, beginning a feminist, gender-expansive tradition that is still flourishing today. Following the Great Depression and World War II, roller skating became the biggest participation sport with over 18 million skaters and a staggering 5,000 rinks in the U.S. In the 1950s, the majority of rinks only welcomed Black patrons one night a week, dubbed “Black Night,” which evolved to “Martin Luther King Night” or “Soul Night” in the 1960s. During the American Civil Rights movement, skating was an opportunity to showcase Black pride, creativity, and the value of community. Some activists took to the streets on their skates, such as “Roller Man,” aka Ledger Smith, who skated nearly 700 miles from Chicago to D.C. to attend the historic March on Washington. New York’s five boroughs have seen the rise and fall of numerous historic roller rinks, such as the sensational rink/club, the Roxy, in Chelsea (1978-2007); Skate Key in the Bronx (1997-2018); Empire Roller Skate in Crown Heights (1941-2019) and more. RollerJam USA in Staten Island (2006-2024), the only year-round indoor rink in NYC for nearly 20 years, closed May 2024. We believe in the inherent goodness of humanity, protecting and preserving our precious earth, and the importance of kindness, respect, and compassion for all living creatures.Offensive and discriminatory behavior including homophobia, transphobia, sexism, racism, or any other forms of violence is not welcome at Xanadu & our management team reserves the right to remove any guest at their sole discretion. 

Address: 262 Starr Street, Brooklyn, New York 11237, United States

Website

Upcoming shows at Xanadu

Past shows at Xanadu

Artists who have played Xanadu

And 5 more acts.

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View Xanadu on Ckord