Outer Heaven Disco Club’s original location in East Austin on April 25, 2025.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Just in time for Austin’s Pride season, one of Austin’s underground queer clubs is preparing for its comeback.
One year after Outer Heaven Disco Club was forced to close its East 12th Street home, owner Sean Daigle has announced the dance club will return to a significantly larger space in East Austin.
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The new Outer Heaven will open on East Cesar Chavez Street near De Nada Cantina, though an official opening date has not yet been announced as Daigle works through licensing approvals and other final hurdles.
The announcement marks a new chapter for a club whose closure in 2025 left a noticeable hole in Austin’s queer nightlife.
A club that refused to disappear
Outer Heaven closed in April 2025 after its landlord declined to renew the lease on the East 12th Street building, which is slated for redevelopment.
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Daigle transformed the former Dozen Street space during the pandemic into one of Austin’s most distinctive dance destinations. The club developed a following through word of mouth, attracting an eclectic mix of queer patrons, artists, DJs and nightlife regulars drawn to its anything-goes atmosphere.
After the closure, Daigle told the Austin Chronicle he wasn’t sure whether Outer Heaven would ever find another permanent home, though he planned to keep the community together through pop-up events.
Now, the club is returning on a much larger scale.
“The space is like four times the size of the old club,” Daigle told the American-Statesman. “It is a large warehouse with multiple rooms inside.”
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Rather than waiting until every detail is complete, Daigle plans to let patrons watch the venue evolve over time.
“I’m still trying to finish the bones of the club,” he said. “I’m essentially going to build the aesthetics of it as we go, because I think it’ll be kind of cool to have people come each week and see new stuff made every time and know their money is going directly to building the club in real time.”
Outer Heaven Disco Club’s original location in East Austin on April 25, 2025.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Outer Heaven Disco Club’s original location in East Austin on April 25, 2025.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
More than a dance club
While dancing remains central to Outer Heaven’s identity, Daigle says he envisions weekday film screenings, political gatherings, LGBTQ+ events and local vendor markets at the new location.
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“I am trying to make it not just a weekend party club but a legitimate community space where artists or creators can sell anything they want free of charge and I will take no cut whatsoever,” Daigle said. “A place where people can throw their own daytime or weekday events for anything in local Austin communities.”
Daigle also says he’s intentionally creating spaces that encourage conversations between strangers.
“I think the kind of melting pot of people from disparate backgrounds that Outer Heaven attracts is well suited to helping people find communities because it brings lots of different groups together to interact with each other, rather than being one type of crowd.”
Outer Heaven Disco Club’s original location in East Austin on April 25, 2025.
Mikala Compton / Austin American-Statesman
Outer Heaven Disco Club’s original location in East Austin on April 25, 2025.
Mikala Compton / Austin American-Statesman
Building something local
For Daigle, reopening the club is also a statement about Austin itself. He says the new venue is funded entirely through his own savings.
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“I’m intentionally doing the new bar with no investors and spending literally every cent I have to make it happen,” he said. “To kind of prove a point that it’s still possible to make something here that’s actually local and intentional and not made by some corporate overlords trying to extract the most profit from everything.”
Despite rising operating costs across Austin’s bar industry, Daigle says he intends to keep drink prices affordable while paying employees higher wages than the tipped minimum.
Austin’s nightlife has changed dramatically in recent years as redevelopment, rising rents and higher operating costs have forced many independent bars and music venues to close or relocate.
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Now, with Austin Pride approaching and a new home taking shape in East Austin, Outer Heaven is betting that what people are searching for is a sense of belonging.