The news was met with shock and sadness. "We used to be there every week 10-11 years ago, having the times of our lives. This is sad," wrote one Instagram user. "Had so many good times there...saw and met some of my favorite DJs there," wrote another.
Treehouse posted again on Friday, adding another final showcase on Saturday, August 5. "Do not miss the Final Round at Treehouse this Saturday," read the post. "Make sure to witness this epic battle of New School vs. Old School on our closing night."
The two-room club at the northern edge of South Beach opened its doors in 2011 with owner Jeremy Waks and designer Dave Glass. The space had previously been home to venues like Rain and the much-beloved Groovejet. But during its 12-year run as Treehouse, the world's best and brightest DJs, including Adam Beyer, Nina Kraviz, and Sven Väth, spun at the Miami Beach haunt.
At one time, event organizers Link and Miami Rebels, who now operate Club Space, booked DJs at the venue.
In 2017, the club took a summer hiatus and reopened right before Miami Music Week the following year, continuing normal operations until the 2020 pandemic. Although Treehouse managed to withstand the blow from the lockdown, reopening with a new layout, it did not appear to recapture the same enthusiasm from patrons it enjoyed early on.
It is unclear why the club, now owned and operated by Michael Freundlich, closed suddenly. New Times was unable to reach Freundlich for comment.
South Beach nightlife offerings have dwindled since its peak in the late '90s and early 2000s. The venues remaining include LIV at the Fontainebleau, which focuses primarily on hip-hop and EDM, and the house-heavy Do Not Sit on the Furniture. M2 opened earlier this year along Washington Avenue in the same spot that once housed Mansion nightclub.
The closing of Treehouse serves as another reminder of the collapse of South Beach's once-vibrant nightlife scene.
In her 2011 review of Treehouse's opening for New Times, writer Liana Lozada pointed out, "The first room captures the theme more than any other: The bar resembles a rope wall, and it's done up with knick-knacks and lanterns. You had that youthful urge to reach up, grab the rope, and give it a swing."
