Darkstar Theater in Tempe.

Benjamin Leatherman

A popular metro Phoenix nightclub and electronic dance music hotspot is going dark.

Tempe’s Darkstar Theater, the two-story EDM club and music venue at Mill Avenue and Sixth Street, is reportedly closing after its owner declined to renew the lease. The three-year-old nightspot is expected to vacate the space as a potential city purchase of the historic property is in the works.

The Phoenix Business Journal reported Wednesday that the City of Tempe is considering buying the Tempe National Bank Building, the 114-year-old structure that houses Darkstar. City officials are also exploring the purchase of the adjacent Tempe Hardware Building.

Tempe City Council is scheduled to vote Thursday on whether to authorize the purchases. Both historic buildings are owned by Calgary-based company Wexford Developments.

Darkstar owner Scott Price, who opened the club in 2022, chose not to renew the venue’s lease, according to PBJ.

“I wholly support the sale of these buildings so they can be protected and become new attractions for our downtown,” Price said in a statement announcing the potential deal.

Price also owns Mill Avenue nightlife staples C.A.S.A. Tempe and Sunbar. His next project, RePUBLic, an Irish pub-style sports bar and pool hall, is set to open in August inside the former Mill Cue Club space.

A closure date for Darkstar has not been announced. Phoenix New Times reached out to Price and the club’s management for comment, but had not heard back as of publication.

The lobby bar at Darkstar Theater in Tempe.

Darkstar patrons and EDM fans react

Darkstar opened in April 2022, debuting shortly after Price’s beloved Shady Park venue stopped hosting shows amid a legal battle with neighboring senior-living community Mirabella at ASU over noise complaints.

Phoenix’s EDM scene quickly embraced Darkstar. Over the next three years, the club hosted a steady stream of local and touring DJs, including frequent bookings from Arizona promoter Relentless Beats. The venue expanded in 2024 with the opening of the adjacent lobby bar.

News of Darkstar’s impending closure sparked an outpouring of reaction online. Fans lit up social media on Wednesday, mourning what many see as another loss for Tempe nightlife, with several pointing to the one-two punch of both Shady Park and Darkstar.

“Every venue I love is gone,” Tempe resident Heather Oh wrote on Facebook.

“What the hell?! Our community really can’t catch a break with our venues,” EDM fan Freya Lynn commented.

Another fan, Jashin Prowell, put it simply: “Noooooooo dont take darkstar!”