#SaveSupernatural: Miami's queer, underground creative hub

We regret to share that Supernatural Haus - Miami's only queer-founded, grassroots-funded, counterculture club - may be forced to close our location at the end of June.

Supernatural is a critical part of the City's nightlife ecosystem - having platformed and supported dozens of emergent, underground artists and collectives who are today staples in Miami's nightlife culture.

Supernatural is also one of very few truly "safe spaces" - a sanctuary for freedom of identity and expression. During a time of increasing oppression of marginalized communities, it is vital that we do everything we can to preserve this home to many.

We were founded in 2020 in a 1000 sq ft warehouse in Little Haiti, where we served as a gathering space for the queer, underground, creative community when many places were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We thrived for three years until Friday the 13th of October, 2023, when we were shut down by the City due to paperwork issues with the building.

In August 2024, we found a new home in a vacant, raw 5200 sq ft standalone building at 777 NE 79th St. Here we had ambitions to build a creative multiplex - including an art x fashion boutique curated by Project Runway designer Dope Tavio, an alcohol-alternative lounge + daytime wellness cafe, as well as a community-based member's club and event space. While we nearly fully built out the space and partially opened the concept in January 2025, our landlord refused to issue six months of earned rent credits after we completed substantial, expensive improvements to the property. We disputed this for months and were finally forced to settle for a small portion of the reimbursement owed, which was a severe financial setback for us at a time when we were simultaneously starting up programming and operations at this new location.

We are now in a position where we can no longer afford rent on the entire building due to the strain this dispute put on our cash flow and financial planning. We are forced to now either shut down completely or downsize. To downsize, the landlord wants three months of rent upfront. We will also need to complete light renovations to downsize, including additional soundproofing, demising walls, painting, etc. We also need funds to continue to pay for staff, marketing post-renovation, and ongoing operational expenses (insurance, taxes, license fees, utilities, etc).

Supernatural has been privately funded by contributions from a handful of founding artists, as well as ongoingly by the community via ticket and bar sales. We do not have the funds on hand to pay this advance rent, a new round of renovations, operating overhead, and other expenses associated with keeping our home at 777. We are therefore humbly turning toward our community and beyond to help fundraise a critical *portion* of what's necessary to save our space.